Getting a sore lower back from cycling

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by merlinmurph

Yup, that's where my pain comes from.
If I stand for any length of time, my back starts hurting. Stretching the hams takes care of it.

Excellent advice. Most people's hamstrings are chronically shortened from sitting long periods of time. The hamstring complex is intimately connected to the lumbar complex.

Also work on muscle groups that are underutilized by most people: glutes, adductors, hip flexors. And get a bike fit

All that being said, aches and pains are an inevitable part of aging. I have them too, even though (as a personal trainer) I'm moving around all day long.

[thwart]

Originally Posted by weaponsgrade

All of a sudden I've started getting lower back pain from cycling. I've been riding for years (road and mtn) and have never felt anything this intense.

Go get it checked out before focusing on the treatments; several good options along that line have been mentioned above.

Likely just age related issues and the need for a bit of time off the bike and more stretches and core strengthening exercises but probably a good idea to 'play it safe'.

[OtayBW]

The OP hasn't mentioned what kind of pain it is (where). One of the more common causes of lower back (Sciatica-ish) problem is typically caused by disc rupture or bulging at the beltline, often caused by hunching over for too long. In this case, extension really helps. Getting out on the bike with a properly fit fore-aft position and good pelvic tilt actually provides extension and a lot of relief (as it did for me). It's the driving around or sitting at a desk looking at a screen that'll get you.

[toronto-rider]

I am 47 and have been riding since 16. About 10 years ago my teammate rode over me after a crash in a road race and I broke 2 lower back bones or something in that area. Since then I could go months without any issue until I experienced lower back pain. Core exercises and stretching cleared it up.
This year was very bad, had major lower back pain on rides over 1hr. Longer gravel rides with stops allowed me to stretch the back to alleviate the pain, long road rides were an issue as there is less breaks.
I have done a lot of exercises to strengthen my lower back, hamstrings etc. Both personal training and YouTube videos. Finally cleared up. However this past week I have ridden 15hrs in 4 days (6 days with 4 days riding) with minimal stretching and excercise and I paid the price with some lower back pain near the end of my last ride.

I know what I have to do and your issue will clear up once you strengthen your back, core etc. It might take a couple of months like me. All my bikes have been fitted by a professional fitter so I knew there was no issue. Just listen to your body.

[weaponsgrade]

Thanks for all the replies. I'd describe the pain as a tightening of the muscles on both sides of the spine. It seems to hurt the most in the morning. I haven't had a physical in 5 yrs. I've been meaning to schedule one to check up on some other things. I'm 46. I haven't made any changes to my position. I got a new gravel bike in the fall and have since put about 400 miles on it. I've also been logging time on my road and mtn bikes which I've had for years. I seem to respond well to ibuprofen. I went to Costco and got a bottle the size of a feedbag for a horse. On average, I'd say I've been riding about two or three times a week with each ride being about 1.5 to 2.5 hours.

The stretching I've been doing seems to help, but I think I could benefit from some professional instruction and guidance. Whether that's yoga, pilates, weights, physical therapist, or other I'm not sure.

What surprised me is how fast and acute the pain came on. I've done lots of big rides where I'm wrecked in a good way the next day. This lower back pain seems like the bad kind of pain. A few weeks ago I took my gravel bike out for a little longer than usual, but a route I've done many times in the past. The next day I was crippled. I thought it was a fluke. I rested for a few days and then went out on a coffee-type road ride. The pace is mostly conversational, gets a little brisk, and then a sprint at the end (which I couldn't help but participate in). I could feel my lower back start tightening up later that day. I almost couldn't get out of bed the next day. Since I'm stubborn, as soon as I got over that one, I went out for what I'd describe as a fairly mellow ride on my mtn bike. My mtn bike has a more upright position than my road and gravel bikes and I was thinking that maybe the pain is related to the more stretched out position I have on my other bikes. Well, the next day I was again on my back. That's when I decided to turn to the collective wisdom of the Paceline forum.

[marciero]

Originally Posted by weaponsgrade

Thanks for all the replies. I'd describe the pain as a tightening of the muscles on both sides of the spine. It seems to hurt the most in the morning. I haven't had a physical in 5 yrs. I've been meaning to schedule one to check up on some other things. I'm 46. I haven't made any changes to my position. I got a new gravel bike in the fall and have since put about 400 miles on it. I've also been logging time on my road and mtn bikes which I've had for years. I seem to respond well to ibuprofen. I went to Costco and got a bottle the size of a feedbag for a horse. On average, I'd say I've been riding about two or three times a week with each ride being about 1.5 to 2.5 hours.

The stretching I've been doing seems to help, but I think I could benefit from some professional instruction and guidance. Whether that's yoga, pilates, weights, physical therapist, or other I'm not sure.

What surprised me is how fast and acute the pain came on. I've done lots of big rides where I'm wrecked in a good way the next day. This lower back pain seems like the bad kind of pain. A few weeks ago I took my gravel bike out for a little longer than usual, but a route I've done many times in the past. The next day I was crippled. I thought it was a fluke. I rested for a few days and then went out on a coffee-type road ride. The pace is mostly conversational, gets a little brisk, and then a sprint at the end (which I couldn't help but participate in). I could feel my lower back start tightening up later that day. I almost couldn't get out of bed the next day. Since I'm stubborn, as soon as I got over that one, I went out for what I'd describe as a fairly mellow ride on my mtn bike. My mtn bike has a more upright position than my road and gravel bikes and I was thinking that maybe the pain is related to the more stretched out position I have on my other bikes. Well, the next day I was again on my back. That's when I decided to turn to the collective wisdom of the Paceline forum.

You're young, dude! It is odd that it is worse the next day. That is more like a throwing your back out type effect, at least for me. You may have injured something, so treatment-chiropractor or otherwise-may be in order.

Aside from that, I'd echo the advice here, though it seems skewed toward stretching. I would stress the importance of strengthening core and back muscles, which was mentioned in a couple of comments. Yoga is great for that. There are any number of resources. I've used Avi and Man Flow Yoga.

[cmg]

There are a number of yoga for cyclists online. Yoga stretches a majority of the muscle groups.

[buddybikes]

>>haven't had a physical in 5 yrs.

Getting older kid, doctors become a necessity.

[Clancy]

Drinking a glass of water upon waking up helps. The body absorbs water from the discs reason we are shorter in the morning then we are in the afternoon.

Finding a good physical therapist is key. Like bike fitting, there’s a lot of pretenders out there.

[CO_Hoya]

Is this true? I thought we are typically tallest in the morning. A quick Google search says we are tallest when we wake up, fwiw.

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To the OP, it's probably better to consult a doctor rather than the collective wisdom of an internet forum.

I suffer from spondylolisthesis and have found that core exercise prescribed by PT reduces but doesn't eliminate the pain. It's just part of life.

Originally Posted by Clancy

Drinking a glass of water upon waking up helps. The body absorbs water from the discs reason we are shorter in the morning then we are in the afternoon.

[choke]

Abi has a number of good videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok-OupCTyK4

[LouDeeter]

Amazing what can lead to lower back pain. Worst I ever had was when a relative took me and another guy out in his bass boat. The seat cushions were shot, but he wanted to impress us with the speed of the boat. We were hitting choppy waves at 50-60 mph--thump, thump, thump. That night, I couldn't walk, could barely breathe the lower back pain was so bad. No amount of stretching or core workouts could have prevented that. I was the pointy end of a jack hammer.

[Clancy]

Originally Posted by CO_Hoya

Is this true? I thought we are typically tallest in the morning. A quick Google search says we are tallest when we wake up, fwiw.

----

To the OP, it's probably better to consult a doctor rather than the collective wisdom of an internet forum.

I suffer from spondylolisthesis and have found that core exercise prescribed by PT reduces but doesn't eliminate the pain. It's just part of life.

Going by what my orthopedic doc and my PT have told me but it also may be to related age. I know growing up was always told we got shorter through the day due to gravity. Later thought that doesn’t make sense since most sit majority of the day. Regardless drinking water 1st thing has health benefits.

I agree about consulting a doctor but proceed extremely slowly if surgery is even mentioned. Too many doctors are all about pushing patients through - hitting numbers.

Lower back pain, as mentioned can be the result of improper body positioning and motion over a long period of time, sitting, slouching, running incorrectly, repeated movements at a job, whatever. Body develops compensation patterns which eventually result in pain. It can also of course be caused by sudden trauma or injury.

I’ve had 4 back surgeries and currently have a 4 level fusion, lumbar - lower back. Last surgery was 2005. I’m in constant pain due to the trauma my muscles went through and the amount of scar tissue. Looking back I believe the outcome would have been far different if I had only focused more on PT with a good therapist.

Surgeons get paid by the surgery, it’s just a fact and human nature kicks in. My wife works in an ER and tells stories of docs ordering multiple tests, admitting patients that clearly do not need admitting, etc. even though the dr’s work in a group and contract with hospital, the hospital puts pressure on the group which puts pressure on the dr’s who also like to make money.

Last six months I’ve gone in for three epidural steroid injections for a ruptured disc in my thoracic spine, likely due to the stress put on by the fusion of my lumbar. The dr is excellent in that she is very skilled but she’s repeatedly has pushed me to see the surgeon in the group w/o once mentioning PT.

Fortunately I found the best physical therapist 4 years ago who has helped me literally regain my life. I did PT prior to and after surgeries but this PT is the 1st to evaluate my entire body and give me exercises to regain my structural balance and alignment. And teach me. Today as long as I do what she teaches me my pain is tolerable and I’m able to live not just normally but actively.

She owns the clinic yet still is tied to numbers and insurance requirements. She can only see me x numbers of times per my dr referral, submit reports to insurance and only work on what the specific dr’s diagnosis as on the referral. Ex. if diagnosis is pain radiating from my neck, she cannot technically work on a hip/lower back alignment issue which caused a twisting of the back which tightened up the neck muscles. You get the idea.

Fortunately again I have an old country GP that works with me and my PT so that’s what I learned to do. But now every orthopedic dr is part of a large group and even though some of those groups have a PT clinic as part of the group I’ve yet to see one that doesn’t literally push a couple of hundred patients through a day.

This is my experience which is limited to San Antonio which has a very large medical center dominated by large groups practicing in whatever given speciality or disease. Hopefully there are orthopedic dr’s out there who take the time to evaluate the entire patient, see if there where long term stresses that caused muscular and skeletal imbalance over time and work closely with a qualified PT to address all those issues. But from what I’ve seen it’s all about dr’s working in a very specific area who spend maybe 8-10 minutes with a patient.

I know your pain. By all means, if this continues, or reoccurs, see your doctor as there’s something going on. And for your sake, find a good physical therapist.

Good luck!

[dddd]

I would try to consider how any pressure points might be going on during your extensive sitting.
I've known the wrong chair or even a chair whose padding had declined to cause some doctor-visit-worthy complaints, resolved when a new chair was substituted.

Try not to sit for too long. My real estate guy is a serious cyclist, about 60-y-o and I saw how his home office has a tall table with two monitors and with no chair in the room.

I sometimes get inflammatory symptoms that affect tired muscles, almost always after indulging in some relatively heavy eating following a ride.
Breaking it up into two smaller meals (with a few hours, a glass of water and plenty of moving about between them) makes a huge difference here. A detailed cleaning of the bike is one good way to loosen up between mini-meals, since it involves a lot of range of motion and no sitting. A side benefit of the smaller meals is that there is less of an inflammatory spike resulting from the macronutrient rush that the liver, etc. has to deal with.