Hip pain due to improper seat height?

Hi all,

Let me start by saying that I have been lurking on the forum for a month or so. I absolutely love it. My husband actually found the forum and sent me a link. Now I'm an avid reader and am learning so much.

I have a Trek hybrid 7100. I started riding last August and rode until November until I started having a little back/hip pain. In February, I had major hip/lower back pain. The doc x-rayed and said I have "wear and tear" between the 3rd, 4th, and 5th vertebrae and sent me to physical therapy (taking Alleve and some muscle relaxers to help the pain.) After about a month or so, the back/hip pain was better. In May, I decide to get back on my back. I rode about 30 minutes, and the next day, I could barely walk--the hip/back pain was back.

After about two weeks in the early part of June, the pain was enough better that I could try the bike again. I started on very slow and short rides and had managed to work up to riding 30-40 minutes, depending on how hot it was outside.

I finally decided to raise the stakes and lengthen my ride. Also on that day, I had been testing out the Trek fx bikes, so I was more leaned over. The next day, my hip/back hurt so badly that I could barely walk. It's been a couple of weeks now, no bike riding, and I'm still hurting. The pain is usually centered on my lower back, but the pain radiates out to my outer hips and sometimes the muscles on the outsides of my hips.

Any advice on whether I'm having back/vertebrae problems causing the pains or whether my saddle height and bike riding style are really the root cause of the pains? I can't figure out if it was the being leaned over testing out the bikes or the longer bike ride that has caused this flare up or maybe it is how I am seated.

(Let me also note that my pituitary doesn't "put out" as it is supposed to, and I have started taking human growth hormone injections in March. It has really helped my ability to exercise and not be drop dead tired all the time.)

Any advice or experience from you girls is really welcome to me. I really miss riding my bike and want to get back out there on it.

Thanks!
VeeVee

I imagine you've read the mantra here, "get a fitting from the bike store". If the LBS does this properly, you should be checked for proper seat height. They measure the bend in the leg when the pedal is at its lowest point, also there's a measurement based on the leg fully extended... I know because I had mine re-checked the other day.

But: I'm not sure if they pay attention to your hips rocking back and forth when pedaling. I would ask someone to check you on this. I don't think it's good for your back if pedaling causes this.

That's my 2 cents for the moment, I'm sure others will add more. I paid a lot of attention to the concept of being bent over on a road bike because I've had lower back pain for a while. In my case, riding hasn't aggravated my condition, but that's just me.

when you go for your fitting, ask them to check for a leg length discrepancy. I have a 3 cm LLD that caused me a lot of pain until I got a custom crank set that corrected it. One way to check, is ask them to measure the angle your femur and tibia make relative to each other at the bottom of the pedal stroke, on BOTH legs. If they are significantly different, that can indicate an LLD. So can a different KOP from the right leg to left. If you have a small LLD, cleat shims may help.

Bad back. I can relate. That hurts!! No answers just some encouragement.

I find I have to stretch before and after a ride to keep my back happy. I also had to find a bike that fit me. I ended up with a road bike cause I need all the positions I can get. I do better if I can move around a bit on a bike than if I'm stuck in one position. I have the Trek Pilot WSD which does have one position that is almost fully upright for me.

I did get serious relief seeing a chiropactor. I had seen several doctors before I went. But he's the one who helped me. The back problems I had eventually cause sciatica for me. If your hip pain is starting in the butt cheek - it's worth thinking about.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

did your PT teach you how to relax/adjust your own sacro-iliac joint? If that goes out of whack it will cause the pain you describe and also give you a functional (though not anatomical) leg length discrepancy. Now would be a good time to do any of the alignment techniques they taught you.

Can you call the PT and tell them what you're feeling and ask them for some advice?

Are you still doing the exercises and stretches from your home program every day?

Are you stabilizing with your abs on the bike, just like you do the rest of the time?

I will be going to physical therapy on Monday and will ask the therapist what stretches I should specifically due to help my back/hip pain for riding my bicycle.

I greatly fear that I have been riding my bike with the saddle adjusted way too high. Should my feet stay parallel to the ground when I'm pedalling?

LLD? Leg length discrepancy? I don't know if I have that, but my hips were rotated funny and weren't even when I went to therapy in March. I'm sure she'll check it again and make sure it's right.

The pain actually changes sides. This time, it started on the right side and over the days moved toward the center and then over on to the left side.

Will I get a good workout on my hybrid traveling fewer miles than the people who are going much farther miles? I have only been riding about 30-40 minutes a day. I'd really like to put in some more hills and ride a bit longer. The training regimes I've seen have been for people preparing for very long rides. If anyone knows training regimes for beginners, I'd appreciate it!