re: back pain cycling

August 5, 2010

We treat a lot of cyclists in my clinic, many of them for low back pain. Pain

is one of the main motivators for seeking a bike fit, and it is a service we

have provided for many years:

Pain while cycling is usually a combination of several factors including: bike

fit, musculoskeletal problems, and training program problems. It is very common

to see a cyclist that trains too much, has a poor bike fit, and does not take

good care of their body.

Unwinding these problems requires that you address each of these areas to get a

satisfactory outcome. While fit might not be the main issue, it should always

be evaluated in a case like this.

There is a list of the usual suspects that we always check for, and we've come

across some unusual things as well.

One challenging thing out there about bike fit is that many people that do bike

fitting are bike shop employees that have been taught a " system " but may not

have any understanding of biomechanics. While some of these people might still

be reasonable bike fitters for straightforward fits, they are certainly not

qualified to handle most musculoskeletal problems. A great example is a leg

length difference. You would choose to make different adjustments (to the bike

and the person) depending on whether it is functional or anatomical, and a

different bike adjustment is required if the difference is primarily tibia vs.

femur.

I've been racing bikes for 15 years and have done 100s of fits so if anybody has

quick questions would be happy to entertain.

For the person in question (pain in the drops) it could be a fit issue, but I

would also check for: hamstring problems, hip socket problems, SI problems, hip

muscle problems. Raising the bars or bringing them relatively further back

usually does not appreciably change the low back position unless you go Way Far

up and back, which is not a good solution for a competitive cyclist.

Seth Hosmer, DC, CSCS

hosmerchiropractic.com

503.227.2279

Recommended Posts