Low Back Pain and Cycling
Pain shouldn’t be a limiting factor when it comes to riding.
Here at Eastside Movement Company we treat a lot of cyclists and in particular a lot of cyclists with low back pain all over Austin, Texas. They know they need help, but are unsure what is being irritated, why their low back is in pain, and what are the first steps to decreasing pain?
What structure is being irritated? What does that even mean?
Back pain can come from a number of different structures with a lot of different names. Each diagnosis means something just a little different. Here are a few common examples we hear from cyclists
Low back spasms or tight muscles
Slipped disc or herniated disc
Irritability of the nervous system
Pinched nerve or irritation of a nerve where it exits the spinal canal
Sciatica or irritation of the sciatic nerve (nerve in your butt) at the glutes and/or low back
Back feels “out” or joints in the back are not moving well
Why does low back pain start?
Low back pain is multifactorial and a number of things we do throughout the day will lead to irritation on and off the bike. Usually a few of these points below are mentioned when clients initially reach out to us
Too much too soon: I had a great 2-3 weeks off the bike and am ready to get back into the same level of activities I did before I left. Then the pain either starts or gets worse. Anytime we take more than 10-12 days off, we are at risk of overextending our tissue.
Muscle imbalance/asymmetry: This is huge for cyclists because cycling is a very symmetrical sport. If our body is operating differently on the right versus the left, compensations can occur up and down the chain.
No strength training: I get it, cycling is a blast! However, when we are cycling but not strength training, we aren’t adequately developing a particular type of muscle fiber referred to as type II muscle fibers. Why is this important? Type II muscle fibers play a massive role in preventing injuries; fewer type II fibers leads to greater injury risk.
Poor bike fit and/or poor cycling mechanics: These two points go hand in hand. A poor bike fit is like using a tool that is not right for the job. Then once you get that fit and have the right tool, you need to learn to use it. This is where learning good cycling mechanics come into play. Learning proper mechanics can help decrease the pressure on your low back muscles
Lack of sleep/nutrition/increased life stress: This one comes into play in almost every injury. Your body needs to sleep to recover and proper food to fuel your activity levels. Also, if you are stressed out from your job and relationships this is a drain on your system, just like exercise.
What should you do about it?
Each of these problems will have a slightly different solution, but these are three basic things for self care that can help you decrease pain in the meantime.
Sleep: Recovery is the most important we can do when we are injured. When we sleep our body is able to get into a parasympathetic state (rest and digest) this is key for recovery and healing.
Movement: Keep moving as you are able to. We want to avoid absolute rest, as movement stimulates the production and release of nutrients that injuries require to heal. If you are experiencing a pinched nerve, disc injury, or sciatica, movement is especially important. Nerves are huge oxygen eaters, about 20% of our daily oxygen intake, so the more we move, the more oxygen they get.
Pain management: One of the big things to do is to monitor your pain levels. We tell everyone to keep your pain <3/10 during an activity, after an activity, and the next morning. If you are staying within these parameters, you are not irritating the tissue to a point that will cause more damage.
Ready to get your low back pain under control?
Are you at the point where low back pain is taking away your enjoyment from cycling? Here at Eastside, our Doctors of Physical Therapy are experts in relieving this problem for the long term. We work hand in hand with you to develop an individualized plan to get you back to 100% that looks at the entire picture, not just the diagnosis you’ve been given.
Looking to fix your low back pain when riding? Reach out to us here for a free consultation call with one of our docs to help you get clarity on what the next step is for you!
