# Who Has Back Problems?



## Ricisan (Aug 30, 2006)

This stretch has really helped my back.
I swear by it.

http://staceypotts.massagetherapy.com/piraformis_stretches.pdf

This stretch is a little awkward, but it works.
For those in better shape, putting your big toe to your forehead is even better.

Doing Hip Lifts off the stability ball has saved me. I started w/body weight, then I added light dumbbell as I got stronger.






I have very bad sciatica and this helps

Start slowly and take your time.
Just stretching over the ball is helpful.

R


----------



## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

Mountain biking has improved my back like nothing else. Because I have adult onset asthma, I push up most steeper and bigger hills. (here in Northern California, there don't seem to be any small hills) Pushing up hill has strengthened the band of tummy muscles at the belt line. That's the one that the physical therapists had me working on. Over 10 years with only two bad periods both addressable by prednisone, anti spasmodic, and naproxyn. And, I've had three different surgeries over the last 40 years.

Yep, for really back health, I recommend pushing a mountain bike up at least three big hills per ride. And, what goes up must come down!


----------



## Rngspnr (Feb 15, 2016)

Over fifty who doesn't!


----------



## fatcat (Mar 11, 2006)

*Who has SCIATICA?*

If you have it, I don't have to tell you about it. For those who don't its painful. It starts on the lower butt and can tingle pain all the way down to your ankle. Usually one side. Mines on the right side.

Getting up and sitting sometimes sitting down is painful. Riding my bike temporarily helps the pain. But after a while, its back like a unwanted family member who always asks for money.

How do you cope with it or what have you done to rid of the pain?


----------



## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

Rngspnr said:


> Over fifty who doesn't!


er, me, 71 riding mainly singlespeed.

Singlespeed is a great way to keep your core and legs in good shape. I hesitate to call it a core exercise because it's just something that happens when you're having fun.


----------



## bsieb (Aug 23, 2003)

^+1, I had a lifelong nagging lower back until I started exclusively riding single speed. After three years my nagging back was gone, and has never returned, although I now use some gears. It helps to start with a symmetrical body.


----------



## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

Rngspnr said:


> Over fifty who doesn't!


Mid 60s and no back problems for me. Knees are acting up a bit though, probably due to past mx tweakage.


----------



## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

fatcat said:


> If you have it, I don't have to tell you about it. For those who don't its painful. It starts on the lower butt and can tingle pain all the way down to your ankle. Usually one side. Mines on the right side.
> 
> Getting up and sitting sometimes sitting down is painful. Riding my bike temporarily helps the pain. But after a while, its back like a unwanted family member who always asks for money.
> 
> How do you cope with it or what have you done to rid of the pain?


Stretching. The intensive, really have to work at it kind of stretching. Heat to relieve the pain, stretching to cure yourself of it. Core strengthening helps too.


----------



## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

tiretracks said:


> Stretching. The intensive, really have to work at it kind of stretching. Heat to relieve the pain, stretching to cure yourself of it. Core strengthening helps too.


I've never stretched. I'm really dubious about it.

Warm up and warm down, absolutely. I always start slow and finish slow so I'm not puffing at the end.


----------



## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

I've got a weak back. I hurt it about a week back. :drumroll:


----------



## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Velobike said:


> I've never stretched. I'm really dubious about it.
> 
> Warm up and warm down, absolutely. I always start slow and finish slow so I'm not puffing at the end.


That reply was for fatcat's post about issues with Sciatica, not for everyday riding. I agree that pre-ride stretching is of no use, probably detrimental. If anything, stretch afterwards.


----------



## OlMarin (Oct 22, 2016)

I started experiencing lower back pain. Tried moving the seat forward and that helped a bit. I changed my handlebar stem from a 130mm reach to a 115. Bingo! No more backaches. Less than 5/8" back.
My body has changed. I lost an inch of height overall.


----------



## fatcat (Mar 11, 2006)

Its been 3 weeks since my MRI said "Herniated Disk" a 4mm tear on the L4 which has been crazy painful. I haven't even attempted to ride during this 4-5 week period. I highly
suggest getting an MRI ASAP so you know whats up. I waited 2 weeks in searing pain before stupidass me got one.

The radiologist and chiro said that 4mm is accepted for non-sugery. A tear on a spinal disk that is 6-8mm deep qualifies as surgery. Yuck. It didn't help that much that I had a little wiggle room for non surgery because the pain was excruciating 

I am currently on a 6 week program with my chiropractor. There was a couple weeks where I really wanted to get a shot in the inflammed area, but I'm a sucker for pain.

50% of the pain has subsided to my right hip, calf and foot. I am doing sciatic streching exercises which help but the real key for those in pain:

1. Sleep on the floor, it straightens your spine. Use a pillow to raise your legs up if the pain is unbearable.
2. Prop yourself on a wall and stretch your legs outward and let that sciatic muscle stretch
3. Drink plenty of milk and OJ for vitamin C & D. Plus Glucosamine/Chondroitin tablets help to rebuild the annulus fibrosus (spinal disk) Vitamin E is also helpful for cell rebuilding but I didn't get any. 
4. Don't work, but sitting in bed is not good either. Movement is good but super pain at work makes you irritable and hard to work with. I've been at home not working for about a month now. Money to me is meaningless when you suffer a herniated disk.


----------



## mudflap (Feb 23, 2004)

Right now I am back-pain free. But, like most of us, at different times I've had it all.
Fortunately riding doesn't hurt my back, just my neck. That's a different story. But I'm working on it and riding every other day until the snow flies.


----------



## woodway (Dec 27, 2005)

Funny, I used t have back problems in my early 20's. Decided to work on strengthening my core and have been pain-free ever since. 56 and counting.


----------



## ravewoofer (Dec 24, 2008)

I've got a herniated disc and a bulging disc, only diaganosed with MRI once inflamed. In my 20's I would need a cane to walk from time to time as my back would be extremely twisted out of alignment. I would have problems (ie lots of pain) through my mid forties, although once I started spinning, nearly all my back pain and problems disappeared. I've never had back surgery, and am more careful on back bending chores, but on the bike or spin bike I feel excellent!

Honestly, spinning will always be part of my lifestyle as my lower back health has done a 180 since I started the regimen.


----------



## Prophet Julio (May 8, 2008)

"Who doesn't have back problems?" is a better question. HA! It takes me a few minutes every morning to straighten out and walk right. I've had a herniated disc between L4 and L5, fortunately it resolved without surgery after about 6 weeks. I fractured my transverse processes on L1, L2 and L3 on a bad mtb crash. I've crawled to the bathroom in pain many times. Biking brings me back to health every time. Yoga core strength exercises have also played a huge part in balancing my core and keeping my muscles in balance. Keep the blood flowing. Keep the muscles moving. If you never slow down, you'll never grow old.


----------



## robgdds (Aug 14, 2016)

About 6 years ago playing in the snow I compression fractured 2 vertebrae. The pain was excruciating for about 3 years. 

I moved to AZ 2 years ago and could see the mountain biking trails as I drove home. I hiked them a few times and had to get back into MTB. I had gotten into it in Florida in 1989 an was riding until 2008. 

So in last year I bit the bullet bought a hardtail. At first I thought I couldn't do it. I put a thudbuster on the bike and it really helped. A few months back I got into a FS and now I'm pain free and biking seems to have really strengthen my back.


----------



## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

robgdds said:


> About 6 years ago playing in the snow I compression fractured 2 vertebrae. The pain was excruciating for about 3 years.
> 
> I moved to AZ 2 years ago and could see the mountain biking trails as I drove home. I hiked them a few times and had to get back into MTB. I had gotten into it in Florida in 1989 an was riding until 2008.
> 
> So in last year I bit the bullet bought a hardtail. At first I thought I couldn't do it. I put a thudbuster on the bike and it really helped. A few months back I got into a FS and now I'm pain free and biking seems to have really strengthen my back.


Congrats on your recovery, and getting back to enjoying the dirt! Good job on moving to a FS for the aging back.

I have found getting a good massage every now and then during the cycling season, plus some quality stretching and use of the foam roller keeps my back from talking to me too much. It still talks to me, but I think that's normal for all of us in the over 50 crowd...


----------



## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

The best thing I ever did for core strength is white water kayaking. That, and general activity, has kept my back pretty happy over the years.


----------



## ajjrsons (Jul 15, 2015)

my advice is to work those little core muscles. all balance stuff - no crunches or anything like that. standing 1 leg dumbell presses, curls, whatever. keeping your balance requires tightening the core - the little muscles supporting the spine. PT drilled into my head. seems to work and of course ice and more ice. 

54yrs -- three years now since a bad pair of bulging discs put me in bed. now I am racing XC and did my first road century under 6hrs this summer. looking forward to my first enduro race this year. I still hurt. still do my balance excercises. But, no restrictions in riding!


----------



## MtnBkrBob (Aug 15, 2007)

My wife recently showed me how to work my back on a foam roller. We use it before going to bed.

Had several back injuries, last being a herniated disk, which resulted in a year of no running, lifting, biking, etc. Sucked. 

At 57 – no restrictions now. Having said that, my 6x6 FS stumpy is a much nicer ride on my back/neck than my SS HT.


----------



## Skymonkey (Mar 12, 2014)

ajjrsons said:


> my advice is to work those little core muscles. all balance stuff - no crunches or anything like that. standing 1 leg dumbell presses, curls, whatever. keeping your balance requires tightening the core - the little muscles supporting the spine.


This is what worked for me. Battled a bulging L5/S1 disc for 7 months in 2008 before it decided to pop. Doctor who did surgery on me said it was the largest tear he'd seen in 23 years. I still struggled with back pain after the surgery. Occasionally debilitating but mostly annoying and worst of all unable to ride. Tried PT, chiro, yoga, traction, acupuncture, massage therapy, all to no avail. Was consulting with surgeons about a fusion and one suggested Pilates. With little hope but nothing to lose I took 5 private lessons to learn good form then started small group classes. After a few months of 2-3 times a week I started riding again. Started racing again a year later. Today I usually ride 4 days a week, run on treadmills while at hotels traveling for work, pilates 1-2 days a week, and lift weights 2-3 times a week focusing on engaging my core.

For me it was all about the little muscles that support my spine.

Many times we don't learn to take care of our backs until it's too late.


----------



## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

I'd take it easy and let the tear heal first, if it will at all. Naproxyn has helped me along with a quick taper of prednisone for the worst exacerbations. Be careful with naproxyn by the way. The prednisone is a powerful anti inflammatory, among other things, and quiets my back quickly. Of course, it is the wonder drug from hell and you'll figure out why pretty quickly.

The referred pain (the leg pain that is actually generated at the pinched area of your spinal nerves) can be helped by cannabinods - the official nerve pain drugs didn't work at all for me.

The key to prevention of future exacerbations, if there is one, is to learn to baby your back. Just don't lift anything remotely heavy. Get a weight belt for the times you have to lift anything heavier than a draft beer.

Strengthen the band of muscles around your belly. Pushing your bike up hill helps because the force from your legs is transferred to the bicycle through your gut. Then of course you're left with the chore of riding down.

If all this doesn't fix things in the long run, you may have to go for surgery. The modern surgeries are arthroscopic not like my first "chainsaw" surgery. I've had three over my life and I'm still riding and skiing, both in the backcountry.

I feel (or have felt) your pain. Good luck, keep active no matter what!


----------



## AK47 (Mar 22, 2004)

I'll turn 51 this year. About 6 months ago, I couldn't ride more than 1.5 hours without getting back pain, but strangely only on my lower left side. After about 6 months of trying to deal with it on my own, I finally went to see the Doc. Got diagnosed with an SI (sacroiliac) joint issue and also got a cortisone shot, which did wonders to get rid of the pain. Been to a chiropractor a few times, and starting PT Friday. Working more on core strength. Hope to get it more manageable because rides of only 45 min before some back pain starts is not acceptable!


----------



## CUP-TON (Dec 7, 2016)

AK47 I feel your pain. I am 53 and have been dealing with back pain since I was 15. I have had many good years and many bad years. I was told when I was about 22 that I would be hunched over and nearly crippled by the time I was 50. The docs told me the best thing I could do was to stay in shape. I ran long distances from high school until my early 20's but then my knees starting hurting. So I turned to biking. Biking kept my back from hurting for years. Then around 1998 I took a hiatus from biking and began multiday backpacking in Colorado. The first year or so I had little back problems. Then they came back with a vengeance around 2001. I turned back to biking and with the advent of better suspension and disc brakes I was in love. I rode for years with nary a back issue until 2010. After a long ride one day I went home and sat on the couch and could not get up for 3 days. My first bout of sciatica in many years and by far the worst ever. I was out of work for 6 weeks. I could not straighten my left leg. I could not stand, I could not sit. I laid in the fetal position on the floor for about a month. It would take me 30 minutes to crawl to the bathroom to take a piss. Taking a dump was out of the question, so I pretty much stopped eating. 
I saw no less than 3 docs and they all told me it was going to be about pain management from here on out. So needles in the back and a handful of opioids a day and the sciatica should resolve itself in 8-10 weeks. F*** I was miserable.
So long story longer, It was 4 months before I was back on the bike and then it was just gravel roads and paved paths. It took a full year before I had a pain free day. But I still rode when I could. 
So fast forward to 2016. After a 42 mile day in the saddle at Buffalo Creek mid August my back did almost the exact same thing. It took me 2 hours to get up the last 4 mile climb. Not as bad this time, but 7 months later I am in pain most days. The docs want to give me more opioids but I hate the way they make me feel. And cortisone has never seemed to work for me. I still can ride most days and even some knarly stuff, but long climbs just send my back into lockout mode. Back pain is so exhausting. Where I used to ride 70 miles a week, I'm lucky if I can get 30.


----------



## Ricisan (Aug 30, 2006)

I forgot I was the OP on this. lol
I have found a few things that have allowed me to be much more active. Starting w/lg plyo ball I do a stretch and some ab work. Then I slide forward on the ball to do some
'Hip Raises'. The biggest change has come from doing a 'Piriformis Muscle' Stretch.
This has really saved me. It is basically lying on your back and trying to put your big toe on your forehead. If you can touch you are probably OK. 

I can't find the links right now, they are out there if you are interested. A few minutes in the morning make a big difference.

R


----------



## CUP-TON (Dec 7, 2016)

I have been doing Piriformis stretches since my 2010 episode. And for the most part they do help. I put heat on my back in the morning while still in bed and then do some stretching right after. I also do this when I go to bed at night. I can keep it in check and walk upright most days by doing this. I also try to stretch after every ride. But I still can't seem to do long rides, especially if the have grinding uphills. No matter my position the climbs irritate my sciatica/piriformis. And I miss it. I love climbing. 
I ride Templeton Trail in Palmer Park on a regular basis. And if anyone has ridden this trail they will tell you it is super techy. Rock drop after drop after smooth slick root after short techy climb. I can usually ride this style without any major pain. But once I hit the long climbs like Buffalo Creek with 4 and 6 mile grindies my back screams at me everytime.


----------



## dave54 (Jul 1, 2003)

I don't. I have done back exercises my entire adult life.


----------



## Ricisan (Aug 30, 2006)

I do my ab work daily in the mornings before work. I can finally add weights to abs and hip raises. I'm not a core junkie, but I do believe in strong abs and back. If one side is weak, it will get strained. 
I have to remind myself that Joe Montana had to do a few hours in the training room before a game. It still sucks!

R


----------



## Scuttle Boy (May 24, 2008)

*Back Pain*

I had debilitating lower back pain for the first time earlier this month. Could not even put my socks on. I was scared I was done riding. MRI showed some bulges 1-2mm but nothing major. I started PT and got a cortisone shot. Slowly better. Did first ride last weekend and much better.

PT showed me my hip flexibility was poor. The issue is on a bike if your hips can't flex properly your lower back will to compensate. The lower back is supposed to stabilize, not bend for hours on end. To that end I have been stretching and conditioning every morning since. Sitting in front of a computer or in a car for hours on end messed with my psoas. I did not even know what that was before.

I also recommend the book "Pain Free" by Pete Egoscue. Explains the body as a structure and how issues in one area can manifest in another. Then is shows how to fix/reduce/remove the pains. Worked for me.

Good luck to all us 50+ dirt eaters!


----------

