Cycling can be a great way to gain fitness and stay active. However, some cyclists may find they have back pain from cycling, which gets in the way of their fitness or performance goals. Although when compared to other sports, cycling has a relatively low injury rate. Back pain can commonly cause cyclists to cut back on their riding as the pain increases with time in the saddle. Back pain is one of the most common cycling injuries that I see in my Toronto Physiotherapy practice.
If you are a cyclist and are starting to feel back pain from cycling here are 7 reasons your lower back may be starting to get aggravated.
Prolonged Low Back Flexion
Back pain from cycling can be caused by the prolonged hunched (flexion) position that you are forced to be in during biking. Many cyclists that do higher volume of riding that end up in my physiotherapy schedule have extremely poor low back extension when looking at their movement patterns. This poor mobility in extension is caused by the amount of time they are spending sitting in the saddle with their back flexed. If they do a job that requires prolonged sitting, this can further limit their low back mobility, especially in extension. This can contribute to pain in the back as they are spending a significant amount of time with their low back in a flexed position. This contributes to both increased stress on certain structures and poor low back extension mobility.
One strategy to help avoid your back from stiffening over time is to incorporate low back extension stretches into your daily routine. This will help to maintain your low back mobility as well as to unload structures in the low back that are being constantly tested from spending increased time in the flexion position with cycling. Here are two exercises that you can try to help maintain your low back extension:
- Standing extensions- In standing place your hands behind your back and gently lean back as far as you comfortably can. This movement will improve over time. Do not PUSH through sharp pain. Repeat 10-15 times 3 x per day.
- Prone Cobras- Lying on your stomach, push your chest off the ground as high as you comfortably can. Your waist should stay comfortably down on the floor as you push your back into extension.
Tight Hamstrings
This can be a common cause of back pain in cyclists because as your foot reaches the bottom of the pedal stroke if your hamstrings are tight this can cause more tension through the pelvis and low back. Stretching your hamstrings as part of your regular stretching routine can help you to keep them flexible thus decreasing the chance of experiencing back pain with cycling.
Tight Hip Flexors
With the amount of forward bending and low back flexion cyclists do in their day to day riding they can quickly develop tight hip flexors. This can cause increased pull on your low back because these muscles have attachment to your lower spine. Tight hip flexors can also lead to a decreased ability to extend your low back. It is a good idea for cyclists to keep hip flexor stretching as part of their regular stretching routine.
Too Slow of Cadence
Back pain from cycling can be caused by riding your bike in a higher gear. This will cause your cadence to slow,and cause more shifting through the pelvis which will contribute to more back pain from cycling.. Using your gears appropriately, riding at a cadence of about 80-95 revolutions per minute and switching your gears with your terrain optimally is your best approach. Pedalling at a slower cadence is less energy efficient and will cause increased strain on your low back.
Insufficient Core Strength
If you are doing lots of cycling make sure you look at your core strength. Improving your core strength can decrease the likelihood of experiencing back pain with cycling. If you cannot hold a standard plank for one minute your core strength most likely needs to be addressed. I would recommend starting with three planks holding for 10- 15 seconds, focusing on keeping a perfect position and not arching through your back. You should not be performing planks through pain or poor core position. As your strength improves at holding this position gradually increase the length of the plank hold until you can perform easily for more than one minute. Try to perform the planks 4-5 days per week.This will be a good place to start with core strengthening.
Riding On Bumpy Terrains
Riding on rough terrain can cause increased tension through the low back. The pressure of the bumps is especially increased with the prolonged forward bending that is required with cycling.
Bike Fit
If you have never had your bike fitted before and are spending lots of time cycling, you can take your bike in for a bike fit. Especially if you are having back pain from cycling. If your bike has an uneven saddle, incorrect saddle height or incorrect handlebar height can lead to poor body position putting increased stress on your back and could even lead to knee pain or neck pain.
If you would like to try getting your bike fit there are many places in Toronto. D’Ornellas Bike Shop is one place that some of my patients have had good eperiences with in Toronto. They offer certified professional bike fitting.
These are a few reasons you may be having back pain from cycling. However, there are many reasons that could be contributing to your back pain from cycling and a good hands on physiotherapist can do a complete detailed assessment to come up with a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. If you are spending lots of time cycling and are experiencing back pain, manual therapy physiotherapy can be a great way to get your back pain under control. Whether you are trying to compete in a triathlon, or just taking up cycling as part of your latest fitness routine you can contact Shawn Williams Physiotherapy 416-660-4187 for a FREE 20 minute consultation to discuss how our treatment options can help you.
