Back Pain and Cycling

By Erik A. Ward, DC

NOVA Pain & Rehab Center

. http://www.novapainandrehab.com/

More Pain Management & Rehabilitation Articles

Back Pain and Cycling

Back pain is a common problem in cycling that is seldom discussed. There are many causes of back pain, the most common being inflexibility and weak core body strength.

Flexibility

Most of us take flexibility for granted and generally don't notice a change in mobility until it's too late. Flexibility training can help you regain your range of motion, improve cycle performance, and reduce low back pain. Check out these four simple methods for making your muscles more malleable.

Always warm up Before stretching anything, warm up 5-10 minutes to elevate your body temperature. When your muscles are cold, they're stiff and inflexible, and forcibly stretching them could lead to injury or strains.

Big to small Stretch your largest muscle groups first, such as chest, back, hamstrings, and quads.

Take your time Hold each stretch for a minimum of 10 seconds and progressively work your way up to 60 seconds.

Just breathe Breathe while you stretch. Breathing deeply also helps you to relax, furthering your stretch and therefore your flexibility.

You want a full range of motion out of your muscles so that you can have more power throughout the entire pedal stroke. Lack of flexibility, such as excessive hamstring and hip flexor tightness, can contribute to lower back pain.

Core Body Strength

Core strength is very important in back stability. Core strength is not just your abdominal and back muscles that you can touch or see; it is rather a collection of hundreds of muscles both big and small that collectively work together to give you core stability.

Back and abdominal muscles are essential components of the muscular network of the spine. When these muscles are well conditioned, back pain can be greatly reduced or avoided in cycling.

Strong Abdominal and Gluteal Muscles

Well-conditioned abdominal and gluteal muscles decrease stress on the spine. And, unlike muscles in the legs and arms, which get some exercise just from everyday activities, the abdominal/gluteal muscles need specific exercises to stay strong.

Core Weakness and Leg Length Discrepancies (LLD)

Weak core muscles can create leg length discrepancy or misalignment of your spine. The average person has a LLD of 3-6 millimeters. If this is a problem for you, go to a reputable source who has experience with LLD such as a chiropractor or a sports physician. It is easy to over-correct and cause back or knee pain that will take you out of the saddle for months.