Lower Back Pain from Cycling

[Kara]

It has been a long three months...I have been suffering from nearly
constant lower back pain following a few rides this past spring
(injury incurred in mid-May after a few 80-100km rides). I am looking
for advice since I have had very little relief from pain or success
with physio (which, from experience, doesn't come as a surprise) and I
don't know what to do.

The pain stems from the lower lumbar region of my back on the left
side. The pain radiates into my buttock, down my leg, and I often find
my calf and the front part of my leg to be quite tender. The worst
aggravation by far is sitting (which is difficult when you work at a
computer all day). I love cycling and being active, so the past 3
months have been HELL - I have trouble walking for more than 5-10
mins.

My physio has me doing exercises to close down on the disc: arching my
back standing and on my stomach. There is really no relief from these
exercises. Xrays were negative. Having been through a fairly serious
shoulder injury as a competitive backstroker, I am fairly
knowledgeable on the physio regime and on general body mechanics - but
nothing is working to help improve my back problem.

The reading on disc bulges/herniation/lower lumbar back pain largely
attributes weak abdomen, back and hip flexors, muscle imbalance,
improper bike set-up (seat position) and pedal technique as some of
the primary causes to lower back cycling injuries. Early in the
spring, I purchased a Kinetic trainer (which I would recommend 100% -
it is great) to gradually build up my mileage before getting outdoors.
I was very fit through a winter at the gym - both cardio and muscle
strenthening. After a few longer bikes once outside, I felt almost a
tickle, or small irritation in my lower back. Relative to other
previous sports injuries it was nothing to mention.

The morning after a long bike, I felt like I had torn my hamstring
muscle. I couldn't understand what I had done? The pain slowly
radiated down my leg and then set into my back - which ended up being
the root of the problem.

I am now desperate to get relief and I don't know what to do other
than wait it out. The problem is that it is affecting my ability to
concentrate at work and I feel like I am starting to lose it....

I'd appreciate any help....thanks
kara

 

[Andre]

I used to have a similar problem. It sounds like your seat was too high.
Also, women riders tend to fit poorly on road frames, which are typically
designed for male proportions (ie top tube is usually too long for female
torso, thus resulting in reaching, and excessive strain on erector group).

With the seat too high in combo with the above, the hamstring becomes
over-extended. The hamstring originates on the pelvic bone. Upon
hyper-extension of the hamstring, the pelvic bone is pulled posteriorly, in
a repetitive fashion, with each pedal stroke. This tension propagates to
the spinal column, and results in lumber joint hyperextension. The disc
material is strained, resulting protruding material which impinges the
nearby nerves. Thus, the sciatic nerve enters a palsy state, and lower leg
numbness occurs. Also gluteal function is impaired, along with the
piriformis.
This impaired innervation results in compensation from surrounding muscles,
and a chain reaction of strains occur, such as the gemelli, soleus,
gastrocnemius.

See link below for critical piriformis stretch. This is probably the most
important stretch for cyclists who work all day on a computer.
http://jaxmed.com/massage/pirformis_stretches.htm

--
--------------------------
Andre Charlebois
AGC-PC support
http://agc-pc.tripod.com
BPE, MCSE4.0, CNA, A+

"Kara" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> It has been a long three months...I have been suffering from nearly
> constant lower back pain following a few rides this past spring
> (injury incurred in mid-May after a few 80-100km rides). I am looking
> for advice since I have had very little relief from pain or success
> with physio (which, from experience, doesn't come as a surprise) and I
> don't know what to do.
>
> The pain stems from the lower lumbar region of my back on the left
> side. The pain radiates into my buttock, down my leg, and I often find
> my calf and the front part of my leg to be quite tender. The worst
> aggravation by far is sitting (which is difficult when you work at a
> computer all day). I love cycling and being active, so the past 3
> months have been HELL - I have trouble walking for more than 5-10
> mins.
>
> My physio has me doing exercises to close down on the disc: arching my
> back standing and on my stomach. There is really no relief from these
> exercises. Xrays were negative. Having been through a fairly serious
> shoulder injury as a competitive backstroker, I am fairly
> knowledgeable on the physio regime and on general body mechanics - but
> nothing is working to help improve my back problem.
>
> The reading on disc bulges/herniation/lower lumbar back pain largely
> attributes weak abdomen, back and hip flexors, muscle imbalance,
> improper bike set-up (seat position) and pedal technique as some of
> the primary causes to lower back cycling injuries. Early in the
> spring, I purchased a Kinetic trainer (which I would recommend 100% -
> it is great) to gradually build up my mileage before getting outdoors.
> I was very fit through a winter at the gym - both cardio and muscle
> strenthening. After a few longer bikes once outside, I felt almost a
> tickle, or small irritation in my lower back. Relative to other
> previous sports injuries it was nothing to mention.
>
> The morning after a long bike, I felt like I had torn my hamstring
> muscle. I couldn't understand what I had done? The pain slowly
> radiated down my leg and then set into my back - which ended up being
> the root of the problem.
>
> I am now desperate to get relief and I don't know what to do other
> than wait it out. The problem is that it is affecting my ability to
> concentrate at work and I feel like I am starting to lose it....
>
> I'd appreciate any help....thanks
> kara

 

[Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS]

Kara wrote:

> It has been a long three months...I have been suffering from nearly
> constant lower back pain following a few rides this past spring
> (injury incurred in mid-May after a few 80-100km rides). I am looking
> for advice since I have had very little relief from pain or success
> with physio (which, from experience, doesn't come as a surprise) and I
> don't know what to do.
>
> The pain stems from the lower lumbar region of my back on the left
> side. The pain radiates into my buttock, down my leg, and I often find
> my calf and the front part of my leg to be quite tender. The worst
> aggravation by far is sitting (which is difficult when you work at a
> computer all day). I love cycling and being active, so the past 3
> months have been HELL - I have trouble walking for more than 5-10
> mins.
>
> My physio has me doing exercises to close down on the disc: arching my
> back standing and on my stomach. There is really no relief from these
> exercises. Xrays were negative. Having been through a fairly serious
> shoulder injury as a competitive backstroker, I am fairly
> knowledgeable on the physio regime and on general body mechanics - but
> nothing is working to help improve my back problem.
>
> The reading on disc bulges/herniation/lower lumbar back pain largely
> attributes weak abdomen, back and hip flexors, muscle imbalance,
> improper bike set-up (seat position) and pedal technique as some of
> the primary causes to lower back cycling injuries. Early in the
> spring, I purchased a Kinetic trainer (which I would recommend 100% -
> it is great) to gradually build up my mileage before getting outdoors.
> I was very fit through a winter at the gym - both cardio and muscle
> strenthening. After a few longer bikes once outside, I felt almost a
> tickle, or small irritation in my lower back. Relative to other
> previous sports injuries it was nothing to mention.
>
> The morning after a long bike, I felt like I had torn my hamstring
> muscle. I couldn't understand what I had done? The pain slowly
> radiated down my leg and then set into my back - which ended up being
> the root of the problem.
>
> I am now desperate to get relief and I don't know what to do other
> than wait it out. The problem is that it is affecting my ability to
> concentrate at work and I feel like I am starting to lose it....
>
> I'd appreciate any help....thanks
> kara

The course and radiation of the pain sound like sciatica. My brother
had sciatic pain which was aggravated by riding, esp. climbing. He had
injections into his spine (IIRC, L5-S1) of some corticosteroid, which
would give relief for a couple of weeks, but the pain returned.
The pain would wax and wane. It eventually resolved, but it took a
long time.
I'd try another ortho/PT or physiatrist--they may have some other
ideas. Otherwise you might just have to tough it out and avoid
activities that seem to worsen the pain. By all means avoid surgery if
it is at all possible.

Good luck,
Steve

--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001

 

[Paul Cassel]

Kara wrote:

> It has been a long three months...I have been suffering from nearly
> constant lower back pain following a few rides this past spring
> (injury incurred in mid-May after a few 80-100km rides). I am looking
> for advice since I have had very little relief from pain or success
> with physio (which, from experience, doesn't come as a surprise) and I
> don't know what to do.
>
<snip details>

You haven't stated if you had an MRI or not. That's a definitive
diagnostic tool for radiating back issues like you have - or so I was
told when I had my problem.

I had a cyst on a nerve within the spinal canal. No excercises or other
PT would have any effect on that issue. After months of severe pain, I
had the MRI, the issue became obvious so I had surgery. I experienced
relief upon coming out of the anaesthesia - it was that fast.

It took me a while to get fully strong again, but I did and remain fully
active without any restrictions. I urge you to get a full diagnosis and
not assume you can fight this by PT or excercise. I lost months and had
months of pain and lost income due to my holding that false belief.

-paul

 

[Paul Cassel]

Paul Cassel wrote:

> Kara wrote:
>
>> It has been a long three months...I have been suffering from nearly
>> constant lower back pain following a few rides this past spring
>> (injury incurred in mid-May after a few 80-100km rides). I am looking
>> for advice since I have had very little relief from pain or success
>> with physio (which, from experience, doesn't come as a surprise) and I
>> don't know what to do.
>>
> <snip details>
>
> You haven't stated if you had an MRI or not. That's a definitive
> diagnostic tool for radiating back issues like you have - or so I was
> told when I had my problem.
>
> I had a cyst on a nerve within the spinal canal. No excercises or other
> PT would have any effect on that issue. After months of severe pain, I
> had the MRI, the issue became obvious so I had surgery. I experienced
> relief upon coming out of the anaesthesia - it was that fast.
>
> It took me a while to get fully strong again, but I did and remain fully
> active without any restrictions. I urge you to get a full diagnosis and
> not assume you can fight this by PT or excercise. I lost months and had
> months of pain and lost income due to my holding that false belief.
>
> -paul


I want to clarify. It's unlikely that you have what I had, but if months
of therapy aren't working for you, as they didn't for me, it's time to
try another tack. You may have a muscle imbalance or other problem
solvable by PT, but maybe you don't either.

-paul

 

[musashi]

What you are describing is a sacro-iliac problem. Where the pelvis
joints together. Dysfunctioin in either SI joint is aggravated by
walking, putting pressure on that leg, sweeping, mopping, long periods
of standing in one spot, etc.. Deep aching pain down the back of the
leg in the hamstring and calf(though skipping over the back of the
knee) and tenderness in the distribution of the lateral cutaneal sural
nerve(outside part of the lower leg).

If that's the case you will want to find a chiropractor who can
evaluate that SI joint dysfunction and correct it as PT, stretching,
exercises, etc... will be of no help.

If there is disc involvment related to spinal dysfunction the
chiropractor will likely be of help there as well.

Ask around, find one who people seem to say "is the man" and get a
consultation

Musashi


On 30 Aug 2004 18:58:24 -0700, [email protected] (Kara) wrote:

>It has been a long three months...I have been suffering from nearly
>constant lower back pain following a few rides this past spring
>(injury incurred in mid-May after a few 80-100km rides). I am looking
>for advice since I have had very little relief from pain or success
>with physio (which, from experience, doesn't come as a surprise) and I
>don't know what to do.
>
>The pain stems from the lower lumbar region of my back on the left
>side. The pain radiates into my buttock, down my leg, and I often find
>my calf and the front part of my leg to be quite tender. The worst
>aggravation by far is sitting (which is difficult when you work at a
>computer all day). I love cycling and being active, so the past 3
>months have been HELL - I have trouble walking for more than 5-10
>mins.
>
>My physio has me doing exercises to close down on the disc: arching my
>back standing and on my stomach. There is really no relief from these
>exercises. Xrays were negative. Having been through a fairly serious
>shoulder injury as a competitive backstroker, I am fairly
>knowledgeable on the physio regime and on general body mechanics - but
>nothing is working to help improve my back problem.
>
>The reading on disc bulges/herniation/lower lumbar back pain largely
>attributes weak abdomen, back and hip flexors, muscle imbalance,
>improper bike set-up (seat position) and pedal technique as some of
>the primary causes to lower back cycling injuries. Early in the
>spring, I purchased a Kinetic trainer (which I would recommend 100% -
>it is great) to gradually build up my mileage before getting outdoors.
> I was very fit through a winter at the gym - both cardio and muscle
>strenthening. After a few longer bikes once outside, I felt almost a
>tickle, or small irritation in my lower back. Relative to other
>previous sports injuries it was nothing to mention.
>
>The morning after a long bike, I felt like I had torn my hamstring
>muscle. I couldn't understand what I had done? The pain slowly
>radiated down my leg and then set into my back - which ended up being
>the root of the problem.
>
>I am now desperate to get relief and I don't know what to do other
>than wait it out. The problem is that it is affecting my ability to
>concentrate at work and I feel like I am starting to lose it....
>
>I'd appreciate any help....thanks
>kara