Back problems

Have you seen a professional about this?

EDIT: hey, cool, you're in st. augustine.

--
burjzyntski

It's no good being Polish unless you prove it once a day.

\"every silver lining has a touch of gray.\"

"In summary: You want to make sure your Koxx is hard enough before you
start drilling."
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No, I haven't because the pain doesn't bother me enough to see a doctor,
plus I don't have medical insurance, lol. When i'm doing hops is really
the only time it starts hurting. Anything else, even lifting things
with my back won't make it start hurting(I don't lift things with my
back though, I squat.)

I should also mention the fact that I was doing hops for about 4 months
with no problems whatsoever. The back problem happened very suddenly.

Edit: yeah st. augustine sucks, not enough hills, not enough trails.
Muni, which is my favorite type of riding, is basically not an option
here. The trails we do have just suck, they're very short and boring.

--
Monocyclist
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I'll get to a point soon I think so read throughly.
I road cycle and I'm on the saddle for hours at a time. I just
recently got back into the sport 6 months ago and at the beginning my
body had to adjust to sitting for a long time ie: my lower back was
sore every time i rode for the first half of the ride or so and it
bothered me, but after a week or two of riding/training there was no
discomfort. It wasn't just my back either that bothered me there was
my legs to that needed adjusting.
For unicycling new musles were being used so I had to get adjusted to
that as well.
I not only train on the cycle though I work out my upper body to which
is just as important. The upper body helps with stabilization taking
some of the work off the lower body.
If you have weak abs (stomach muscles) this puts more stress on your
lower back which isn't good. That is why as a cyclist I train both
sections of my body.
I'm not sure if your into physical exercise, but its a start.

--
ackgot

*I got a fever. And the only prescription is more
_unicycling_-!-*
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I have a back problem as well. Herniated disk between L4-L5. I still
ride at least 2 to 3 times a week when possible, but i do a few things
to limit the stress on my back. An air saddle is one thing, that
certainly helps. I try to maintain a good posture while riding as well
(although we all know that that isnt always possible 😉 ). While I
don't go down any massive drops, if I do drop off something thats any
larger than a foot, i make sure I dont land with my butt in the seat,
as that tends to compress the spine. If you're still having problems,
take some time off like you suggested. If the pain comes back, try
wearing a lightweight back brace. I hope some of this helps.

--
DrinkyMcSipSip

---Ryan Dillon
Lowell, MA

"The problem with taking the easy way out is that the enemy has already
mined it. "
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When I was bussing tables last year my back started hurting more than it
had ever before. I figured that it was due to carrying 30-50lb buspans
100-200ft dozens of times each night. I asked my mom about it (the
pain) because she majored in physical fitness in college, taught yoga
for years, was a masseuse for a few years, and now takes tai chi and
continues yoga; so she has a pretty good understanding as to the
importance of being flexible and physically fit. My father had 2
herniated disks from years of marathon running and skiing, but he
stretched regularly and remained flexible.

Flexibility is incredibly important.

After I started stretching daily again, the pain went away completely.
Doing toe-touches helps your lower back a lot. About 6 months ago I
could barely touch my toes, but now I can put my palms flat on the
floor and my back pain is gone.

I suggest simple stretches to improve flexibility.

(Yeah, Florida in general sucks for Muni, street, and natural trials)

--
burjzyntski

It's no good being Polish unless you prove it once a day.

\"every silver lining has a touch of gray.\"

"In summary: You want to make sure your Koxx is hard enough before you
start drilling."
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