[The Toninator]

This is update on the fidgeting and tweaking I’ve done to resolve my back problems short of going to the doctor. (God forbid I’d ever have to go to one of those )
The problems started last year during the race season when I started being plagued with it even on training and fun rides. I'm 31 and at the time was riding a 2001 Aluminum Stumpjumper Comp hardtail mtb. I had a flat bar and aluminum seat post.
Things that were recommended and things I tried.

Crunches - Lower back pain is often attributed to weakness. Makes sense but to lazy to work out.
Thudbuster - Not ready to cross that line.
Full suspension bike - Actually bought one still had problems.
Steel frame - Bought one. Ummmmm steel but back problems still processed. Ride smoothed out a bit though.
Saddle - Get a new one. Didn’t but i did slide it forward just a bit. I'm running specialized body geometry pro and on the little measure slider thing on the rail i pushed it forward about an inch.[
Ti flat bar - Tried it. Ummmm Ti is nice and smoothed out the front but didn’t help my back any.
Raise or Lower Seat post height - Although I felt the seat post height felt good for my spin I started by lowering it. Errr wrong had to used a heating pad continuously for the next week. Raised seat post height not bad. I marked where I started, where I went down and now where I went up (up is easy use electricians tape for the up part.) This helped a little and I even noticed a little more control cornering due to the different center of gravity but it didn’t clear the problem up.
Riser bar - I bought a cheep aluminum Kore brand 1" riser. I felt and noticed a difference almost immediately. Rides that were bugging my back in a short amount of time were not really bothering me. I’ve only raced it twice and although towards then end of the races I’ve noticed pain but it hasn’t been debilitating like is was with the flat bar. This has by far been the best solution. I’m thinking about testing the 1 1/2” riser next but that is about three experiments down the line. Also going to try a Ti or Carbon seat post.
I have recently been reunited with my Aluminum stumpjumper but this time it’s the new 2003 model. I’ve been sold on steel frames and riser bars and had no intention of building up the stumpy but decided to go ahead because she’s so damn good looking. Besides it’s light, fast and responsive. I thought it would make a good short distance TT bike or a backup muddy course bike.
Built it up similar to the first one but I put the Ti flat bar on it because that’s what I had lying around. Errrrrr after an hour and a half in rootie MP I felt like an invalid again and had to use ibuprophen, a heating pad and large quantities of beer to dissipate the pain.
So in an effort to Chi-chi up the Dragon I bought a Titec Ti 1” riser for it and switched the Kore Aluminum 1” riser to the Stumpy. I’ve only had one other ride on the stumpy and it being the one that crippled me. The ride with the riser on went very well. I rode for about two and one half hours with only an minor amount of back pain during the ride and I’m pretty much pain free today. I expect, due to prior conditions, for there to be discomfort at race effort but don’t expect it to be a major inhibiting factor.
Now my goal is to test and experiment with the other suggestions that were made and hopefully I can get more than mostly paid free.

 

[indieboy]

the only way it's going to stop is if you back gets stronger, it's not going to help it if it's weak and you go w/ one of the "solutions" except the sit ups. if you don't want to do those, then well your back is just going to hurt. the other problem maybe you are pushing to big of a gear. i used to have this problem for a long time. i would push big ass gears thinking that iwould go faster and it ended up just killing my back. try spinning smaller gears then what you are riding.....

 

[JeffD]

Another possible prob is tight hip flexors (the muscles that emerge from your hips and go down the sides of your thighs that are responsible for lifting your thighs upward)...too much time bent over on a bike (or sitting at a desk for that matter) will make the tight which leads to poor posture and back problems. Only solution is attention to stretching them daily.

 

[mgy]

Yoga is the cure, not only will it ease your back pain you will also gain strength, flexability, balance and better breathing. At 36 yoga is what allows me to keep racing.

 

[Babar]

I had same problem because i was using -20 degree 135mm stem changed to new FSA XC120 6 degree 120mm and my doesnt hurt as much before....

 

[llkoolkeg]

...fractured back were crunches and Naproxen.

 

[laura]

Originally posted by mgy
Yoga is the cure, not only will it ease your back pain you will also gain strength, flexability, balance and better breathing. At 36 yoga is what allows me to keep racing.

i have to agree completely with myg. i started yoga about 1 1/2 years ago and it has improved everything about my overall fitness level. i had major foot and ankle problems that have completely disappeared after doing yoga for a while. (i also lost a lot of weight). also it is amazing how much yoga helps with breathing. its is just amazing. i dont even do it too regularly anymore because its hard to find the time but i do it enough to keep my body flexible and i am still seeing improvements daily.

 

[indieboy]

Originally posted by laura
i have to agree completely with myg. i started yoga about 1 1/2 years ago and it has improved everything about my overall fitness level. i had major foot and ankle problems that have completely disappeared after doing yoga for a while. (i also lost a lot of weight). also it is amazing how much yoga helps with breathing. its is just amazing. i dont even do it too regularly anymore because its hard to find the time but i do it enough to keep my body flexible and i am still seeing improvements daily.

does yoga help that much? i've thought about trying it out b/c i have had a lot of back problems over the years. ugly atv crashes have caused all of it, well most of it, and just looking for options to help some of it out. a lot of the stretching i've been doing has helped but i figured yoga might and wasn't all that sure about it.

 

[mgy]

The only problem with yoga is you don't need to get a massage and/or go to the chiropractor as much any more. Yes, it really is that good.

 

[indieboy]

Originally posted by mgy
The only problem with yoga is you don't need to get a massage and/or go to the chiropractor as much any more. Yes, it really is that good.

never been to the chiropractor. i should probably go just to see how out of wack my back really is

 

[Mocha]

Originally posted by laura
i have to agree completely with myg. i started yoga about 1 1/2 years ago and it has improved everything about my overall fitness level. i had major foot and ankle problems that have completely disappeared after doing yoga for a while. (i also lost a lot of weight). also it is amazing how much yoga helps with breathing. its is just amazing. i dont even do it too regularly anymore because its hard to find the time but i do it enough to keep my body flexible and i am still seeing improvements daily.

I've been wanting to go for some time, but it's so damned expensive. Do you think there would be results if I only went once a week?? I suppose another option would be to buy a video and do it at home.

 

[mgy]

Once a week and/or doing a video would be effective if you did it on your own 2-3 more times a week. Not as good as having an instructor who guides you and makes sure you are doing things correctly but, much better than doing nothing at all.

 

[Drunken_Ninja]

I have been fighting back problems for years. I did the thudbuster . . . even footbeds for all of my shoes which helped. . .all the things I did for my back were all gimmicks. I swear by them still. However I found Yoga to be the biggest waste of my time. (+kinda gay)

The main figuring is this, Don't forget the black hole effect : the places you harm yourself while NOT exercising.

Your posture
You sleep on your side
Your chair at work or computer doesn't support your back.

The solutions that I now use?

1st step...
Hot tub, doesn't do anything except reduce inflamation...for the same purpose I keep tiger linament oil near my bedside cause it is cheap when I need to get back to sleep. Hot showers at high pressure in the morning.

2nd step...
A giant rubber ball in my gym which i just roll my back over to separate and push the bones back into place. Before and after a ride. Basically I warm up my back first then snap it back later. Even daily sometimes. Mornings usually. Mine is in my gym down on the second floor of my building. I will get one for my next apartment.

3rd step...
I think that physiotherapy is also part of the solution. One exercise that actually helps is sex and swimming. They are the absolute best solutions for strengthening the back. However if you do not keep the correct alignment in your back all of these exersices do little except to inflame the muscles more including cycling.


Summary, the effect
I still wake up every morning in pain regardless. I refuse to spend alot of time to fix the problem and spending money on massage therapy isn't economical.

The inflated rubber ball isn't a 100% solution though is the most time effective and cost efficient. The pain subsides immediately after standing up from it. It does not correct the alignment 100% though

I find that the major misalignments are only corrected when I use the ball. Physio Therapy and stretches are much more effective afterward and work more effectively than when I do not use the ball.

I was introduced to it in the start of a Jackie Chan movie. I can't remember which one, but I swear by the ball cause It WORKS. I need some film for my camera but I will get a picture for you guys.

 

[laura]

Originally posted by Mocha
I've been wanting to go for some time, but it's so damned expensive. Do you think there would be results if I only went once a week?? I suppose another option would be to buy a video and do it at home.

i started out doing it twice w week because i was taking a class at school. then i started going on my own once a week but i had a book that i was working out of as well about twice w eek. now i go sporadicly because i cant afford it and i cant find the time. my skill is imoproving very slowly, but i never back track, i am constantly moving forward. you need to go enough at first so that you can start to feel when you are holding positions wrong.(or right). if you cant tell and you are doing it on your own, you can end up doing more harm than good. i say go once a week to get started. who knows, after a few classes you might think it's worth the money.

 

[Iron_Dingo]

Originally posted by indieboy
the only way it's going to stop is if you back gets stronger, it's not going to help it if it's weak and you go w/ one of the "solutions" except the sit ups. if you don't want to do those, then well your back is just going to hurt.

If you want it that bad, then i'm sure you will find the time and effort to do something about it. I used to have chronic back pain until I started working out and after a few months my back didn't hurt as much. You have a choice here, you can sit around and whine or you can get up and do something about it....your body, your choice.

 

[Iron_Dingo]

Originally posted by Mocha
I've been wanting to go for some time, but it's so damned expensive. Do you think there would be results if I only went once a week?? I suppose another option would be to buy a video and do it at home.

You could get away with doing it once a week but you won't gain as much as you would if you went more often. Its possible to go once a week and practice all the rest of the week that you don't go. My karate instructor once told it to me like this: "practice is like making tea. when you practice, you add a drop of water to the cup. when you dont practice, a drop will evaporate. the more you practice the more drops you add and eventually you will have a full cup."
-Dingo
1st Deg. Blackbelt (Shaolin Kung fu/karate)

 

[indieboy]

Originally posted by Iron_Dingo
If you want it that bad, then i'm sure you will find the time and effort to do something about it. I used to have chronic back pain until I started working out and after a few months my back didn't hurt as much. You have a choice here, you can sit around and whine or you can get up and do something about it....your body, your choice.

that's what i was telling him.....i personally do a good bit of situps every night when i stretch out. i'm confused how you flipped that on me