Cycling and Lower Back Pain

Trevor Appleton typed:

Quoted message said:

When my back is at its best, cycling occasionally seems to make it ache.

BTW I probably only cycle about 20 miles a month.

I'd say your settings are all wrong .. or partially so anyway.

ie the relationship between seat, handlebar and pedals is critical to being
able to ride comfortably, or suffer all sorts of unpleasant long and short
term consequences.

I'd suggest taking your bike, and yourself, to a local bike shop who you're
familiar with and getting them to check you and the bike over for 'fit'.

Make single, small adjustments and try them out for a while each time .. 🙂

--
Paul ...

(8(|) ... Homer Rocks

Trevor Appleton said:

I have a 20 year history of lower back pain and have recently hade a severe
atack from which I am now recovering.

Does anyone have any similar experience, and can they say whether cycling
helps or is definitely a no no?

Any cycling doctors out there?

When my back is at its best, cycling occasionally seems to make it ache.

BTW I probably only cycle about 20 miles a month.

20 miles a month is not very much; hardly enough for your body to get
tuned to it. Dare I say it - have you tried a recumbent? Perhaps the
upright posture of a regular bike is an aggravation?

I have a history of disc weakness in my lower back - leading to
prolapses and sciatic episodes, but it doesn't seem to be affected by
cycling in any way - good or bad. What I have found has helped is
resistance training to build core muscle strength in the lower trunk -
increased muscular strength does seem to help take more of the load -
easing pressure on the spine.

--
Chris

Trevor Appleton said:

Does anyone have any similar experience, and can they say whether cycling
helps or is definitely a no no?

"Back pain" is quite a broad spectrum of possibilities, and also the
case that "cycling" gives you a similarly broad range. A time trial
bike, a Pedersen and a recumbent will all give substantially different
setups for your back and you'd really need to consult someone who (a)
knows what they're on about and (b) has got your back to hand to
diagnose what may be best for it.

In the meantime you might try fiddling with the setup of the bike,
bringing bars or seat back or forwards and altering saddle tilt too. If
you feel that leaning forward may well be the cause of the problem then
a bike with a bolt upright posture may suit better, like a Dutch
Roadster, or more extremely a Pedersen where you're practically standing
with a support. Recumbents will lay you back at different angles
according to the design, often with direct support for the back which
can be a lot better. But it may be worse, depends on quite what the
problem is and diagnosis via Usenet is not a good basis for medicine IMHO.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

In article <[email hidden]>,

Trevor Appleton said:

I have a 20 year history of lower back pain and have recently hade a severe
atack from which I am now recovering.

I've had trouble with my back all my adult life. That's one of the main
reasons I got out of working in Dilbert-land.

Quoted message said:

Does anyone have any similar experience, and can they say whether cycling
helps or is definitely a no no?

Cycling is one of two things that *really* helps. The other is walking
with a good quality rucksack that fits the back well and supports it
positively in a good shape.

Quoted message said:

Any cycling doctors out there?

Yes, but I'm not one of them. This is just my personal experiences.

Quoted message said:

When my back is at its best, cycling occasionally seems to make it ache.

BTW I probably only cycle about 20 miles a month.

That's unlikely to help with much. 20 miles a day would ... certainly
not less than half that unless you can dispense with the root causes
of the trouble.

When I was stuck in an office (enforced too-long periods in sometimes-
less-than-suitable desk+chair), commuting by bike was the only thing
that helped. Any more than a day or two not-cycling and the back pain
would start to creep back - or at worst hit with a vengence.

--
Nick Kew

"Trevor Appleton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a 20 year history of lower back pain and have recently hade a

severe

Quoted message said:

atack from which I am now recovering.

Does anyone have any similar experience, and can they say whether cycling
helps or is definitely a no no?

Any cycling doctors out there?

When my back is at its best, cycling occasionally seems to make it ache.

BTW I probably only cycle about 20 miles a month.

I'm not qualified to judge, but maybe have a look at -

http://www.cycleweb.co.uk/q&a/back-pain.htm

Curious

Trevor Appleton said:

I have a 20 year history of lower back pain and have recently hade a severe
atack from which I am now recovering.

Quoted message said:

Does anyone have any similar experience, and can they say whether cycling
helps or is definitely a no no?

I'm 31, and have had lower back pain since my late teens. Earlier
this year I had my first really bad attack.!

So, similar experiences, and I found *light* cycling definitely
helped my initial recovery. I assume that I've gradually strengthened
those muscles around the spine, giving more inherent lower back
support. My instincts also tell me that improving my general fitness
and flexibility (partly through cycling) decreases my chances of
doing my back in again.

A few months later, I completed the London to Brighton, and
I'm still trying to do 40+ miles a week on the bike.

Quoted message said:

Any cycling doctors out there?

I'm definitely *not* a doctor.

Quoted message said:

When my back is at its best, cycling occasionally seems to make it ache.

Yep, cycling still gives me occasional stiffness in the lower
back, which doesn't last long. I've recently switched from a
MTB to a hybrid, which *seems* to have helped (although the longest
ride I've done on it so far is 35 miles last weekend, so it's a bit
early to tell).

I still haven't figured out what combination of variables causes
back pain after a ride. My best guess is seat angle and handlebar
height, as most cyclists soon learn to adjust their seat height
"correctly". Finding the right seat angle is tricky IME. For me,
having the seat tilted back feels more comfortable when riding, but
seems to cause back pain after the ride.

Make sure your frame is the right size too.

Straining really hard to climb a hill also seems to put extra
stress on the lower back.

On most rides I also sit "upright" occasionally; taking one or two
hands off the handlebars and leaning back.

YMMV, of course.

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

YMMV?

"Jeremy Collins" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Trevor Appleton said:

I have a 20 year history of lower back pain and have recently hade a

severe

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

atack from which I am now recovering.

Quoted message said:

Does anyone have any similar experience, and can they say whether

cycling

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

helps or is definitely a no no?

I'm 31, and have had lower back pain since my late teens. Earlier
this year I had my first really bad attack.!

So, similar experiences, and I found *light* cycling definitely
helped my initial recovery. I assume that I've gradually strengthened
those muscles around the spine, giving more inherent lower back
support. My instincts also tell me that improving my general fitness
and flexibility (partly through cycling) decreases my chances of
doing my back in again.

A few months later, I completed the London to Brighton, and
I'm still trying to do 40+ miles a week on the bike.

Quoted message said:

Any cycling doctors out there?

I'm definitely *not* a doctor.

Quoted message said:

When my back is at its best, cycling occasionally seems to make it ache.

Yep, cycling still gives me occasional stiffness in the lower
back, which doesn't last long. I've recently switched from a
MTB to a hybrid, which *seems* to have helped (although the longest
ride I've done on it so far is 35 miles last weekend, so it's a bit
early to tell).

I still haven't figured out what combination of variables causes
back pain after a ride. My best guess is seat angle and handlebar
height, as most cyclists soon learn to adjust their seat height
"correctly". Finding the right seat angle is tricky IME. For me,
having the seat tilted back feels more comfortable when riding, but
seems to cause back pain after the ride.

Make sure your frame is the right size too.

Straining really hard to climb a hill also seems to put extra
stress on the lower back.

On most rides I also sit "upright" occasionally; taking one or two
hands off the handlebars and leaning back.

YMMV, of course.

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

Dilbert Land?

"Nick Kew" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Trevor Appleton said:

I have a 20 year history of lower back pain and have recently hade a

severe

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

atack from which I am now recovering.

I've had trouble with my back all my adult life. That's one of the main
reasons I got out of working in Dilbert-land.

Quoted message said:

Does anyone have any similar experience, and can they say whether

cycling

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

helps or is definitely a no no?

Cycling is one of two things that *really* helps. The other is walking
with a good quality rucksack that fits the back well and supports it
positively in a good shape.

Quoted message said:

Any cycling doctors out there?

Yes, but I'm not one of them. This is just my personal experiences.

Quoted message said:

When my back is at its best, cycling occasionally seems to make it ache.

BTW I probably only cycle about 20 miles a month.

That's unlikely to help with much. 20 miles a day would ... certainly
not less than half that unless you can dispense with the root causes
of the trouble.

When I was stuck in an office (enforced too-long periods in sometimes-
less-than-suitable desk+chair), commuting by bike was the only thing
that helped. Any more than a day or two not-cycling and the back pain
would start to creep back - or at worst hit with a vengence.

--
Nick Kew

Succorso said:

20 miles a month is not very much; hardly enough for your body to get
tuned to it. Dare I say it - have you tried a recumbent? Perhaps the
upright posture of a regular bike is an aggravation?

A recumbent may help, or it may make matters worse. A proper recumbent
will spread the rider's weight along the length of the spine and will
probably help, particularly if it has rear suspension and a solid seat
with lumbar support.

CLWB bikes, semi-bents and the like, OTOH, are the work of Stan and may
well make matters worse, as the force from every bump is transmitted
straight up the spinal column. There is a letter on this very subject
in the latest issue of Velovision.

Quoted message said:

I have a history of disc weakness in my lower back - leading to
prolapses and sciatic episodes, but it doesn't seem to be affected by
cycling in any way - good or bad. What I have found has helped is
resistance training to build core muscle strength in the lower trunk -
increased muscular strength does seem to help take more of the load -
easing pressure on the spine.

<AOL>
Me too.
</AOL>

The best thing I ever did for my back (a few months after suffering a
prolapsed disk) was to take up gymnastics. I recovered most of my
flexibility and built up good, strong, lower back and abdominal muscles.

I haven't found upright cycling to be a good thing, although unicycling
is great. It encourages good posture and it exercises the muscles that
support the lower back.

And of course I can't post in a thread about back trouble without
recommending "Treat Your Own Back" by Robin McKenzie:
<URL:http://tinyurl.com/2vm4k>
<URL:http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0959804927/qid=1089049771/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/026-7545744-2869208>

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

Nick Kew said:

Cycling is one of two things that *really* helps. The other is walking
with a good quality rucksack that fits the back well and supports it
positively in a good shape.

When I mow my lawn (which is fairly large and on a slope), I often end
up with slight backache. If I do it while carrying my daughter in a
rucksack on my back then I *never* end up with any aches, because my
back is so well supported by the rucksack.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

Quoted message said:

BTW I probably only cycle about 20 miles a month.

I cycle because running and hiking are worse for my back, swimming is
ok.

At the moment I have some numbness of the back of my right foot and
sole, at other times it's down the left leg.So I am not a hod carrier,
but a GP. Two weeks ago I did 100miles, which is not that unusual for
me.

I avoid honking much( although you have to lift your weight off the
saddle as often as possible in a long ride) and have always used nice
low gears to get up hills without pushing really hard on the
pedals.Keep the feet spinning easily.I get my position sorted so that
I am leaning well forward, putting weight on my hands so that my
weight is divided between bottom and hands.I like a nice sticky
rubbery wrapping on the bars so that I have a safe grip without
effort.Slippery handlebar tape encourages craning, that is leaning
forward without full support under your shoulders.You can get your
head down too far, though.A really good aero position gives me
backache.
Putting the saddle back a bit in relation to the pedals can give a
better position.Saddle height needs to be right, trial and error .If
you are too low or too high it affects your back.
On road is smoother than off, which might jolt your back.
Finally I would say 20miles per month might be increased so that you
are doing a fair bit every day.Your body will toughen up and get
fitter better with frequent light exercise for half hour sessions
than with occasional short blasts.And don't try to keep up with people
who overtake.We all do that and it's silly.
This is just my personal experience, which is what you want to hear
from other people with back trouble.I agree with others that we cannot
compare diagnoses and severity.
TerryJ

Trevor Appleton [email hidden] opined the
following...

Quoted message said:

Dilbert Land?

The cubicle farm!

Jon

"Trevor Appleton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have a 20 year history of lower back pain and have recently hade a severe
atack from which I am now recovering.

Does anyone have any similar experience, and can they say whether cycling
helps or is definitely a no no?

I comment only as a back pain sufferer. I had occasional moderate
lower back pain for years with the some severe episodes. Most of that
time I was fairly active, joggging, climbing, hillwalking. Since
returning to cycling a few years ago I,m virtually symptom free. I
think cycling has strenthened the muscles in my back. My sister had
similiar back problems which were cured when she went from a typical
inactive lifestyle to walking regularly for long distances.
Every case is different but it is worth trying cycling and seeing
what happens. As other posters have suggested good bike fitting is
vital. Personally I have the handlebars on all my bikes around level
with the saddle. I find any lower and my back doesn't like it. If you
prefer a higher handlebar position there are some bikes on the market
designed that way for example Ridgeback K3 or K4.
Iain

Danny Colyer wrote:

[sound advice]

William. A couple of years ago I put my back out to the extent that I spent
a week in a nest on the bedroom floor, but was able, by the following
Sunday, to compete in a race on my Baron. While driving to Kimbolton was an
exercise in tooth-gritting, it completely ceased to hurt once I was actually
on the bike.

I'm capable of riding upright again, but things start to ache after about 20
km.

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

Trevor Appleton said:

YMMV?

"Your mileage may vary" - as in "your experiences may
be different". Just one of those usenet abbreviations.

HTH

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

"Trevor Appleton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

YMMV?

Your mileage may vary. Originally a disclaimer used by car
manufacturers. Bookmark this page then you won't have to keep asking:
<http://www.ucc.ie/cgi-bin/acronym/>

Also, try gooling for "top posting".

--
Dave...

Capital punishment would be more effective as a preventive measure if
it were administered prior to the crime. — Woody Allen

"Trevor Appleton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have a 20 year history of lower back pain and have recently hade a severe
atack from which I am now recovering.

Does anyone have any similar experience, and can they say whether cycling
helps or is definitely a no no?

Yes, and IME cycling if not helps then doesn't hinder. I've had two
lower spine laminectomies (last approx 18 years ago) and I ride to
work every day with very few problems. Over the years I've had a few
acute periods when I had to use the bus but they've been short and
easily recovered.

From my experience patience, fitness and regular exercise are key-
don't go mad taining for triathlon, but do ride your bike at least a
little every day. Strong stomach muscles support the lower spine, but
avoid sit ups to build them. Ask your physio about cycling specific
stretches as cycling can give you tight hamstrings, which don't help
either. In winter make sure you keep your lower back warm.

If you can, set you milage target a bit higher too. Split it into
small rides at first though.

If you can't ride for the moment, walk a little more. Every day.

Think slow but deliberate improvement.

Patience.

z