anti-road bike doctor

[SimpleCycle]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I may seek a second opinion, not just because of his bike recommendations, but because I hope another doctor might have some different ideas about treatment and prevention.

maggieH, thanks for the ideas about modifying the bike. I'll definitely think about what I can do. I'm going to raise the handlebars up the two spacers I have left and see if that helps some. I'm also considering a set of those short reach brake levers so I can reach the brakes from the top of the bars without having to stretch out so much to ride on the hoods. Maybe an extender to raise the bars would be a good idea too.

My goals are to continue to improve on my long weekend rides, become a better climber, lose some weight, and ride a (fast) century in the fall. Being in the most aero position possible isn't as important to me as being able to comfortably stay on the bike for a long time. But I have to admit, speed is part of what makes riding fun. And getting a new bike right now isn't really an option, because I just bought this one a few months ago, and I love my bike.

I guess I'm most frustrated by his answer of "nothing" when I asked how I could prevent this in the future. This flare up was most likely caused by biking, but many, many flare ups in the past weren't caused by biking, because I've only been riding again for 8 months or so, and seriously riding the road bike for three months. So it's not like the bike is 100% of the problem. There must be other options for decreasing the frequency that my back goes into crazy muscle spasms. My doctor doesn't seem to view this as a very serious problem, because 99% of the time it isn't. He does understand that I want to keep active, but for whatever reason he thinks the road bike posture isn't very back friendly and doesn't understand why a hybrid or a recumbent just isn't the same as my road bike.

I'm going to work on my core strength with "The Core Program" by Peggy Brill and Pilates. One of the guys I ride with has been doing lots of core strength work (at physical therapy for a knee injury) and he says it has made a huge difference in his riding. Irulan, thanks for the reminder that there are many contributing factors in back pain. Honestly stress and anxiety are probably the biggest triggers for me. Since cycling helps with both, I really think it is probably helping more than it is hurting. If my back continues to be a problem, I'll probably seek a second opinion from another doctor, and look into phyisical therapy.

I'm partially just venting, as this is one of those things that isn't catastrophically bad, just really annoying and persistant. I'm 25 and the prospect of this continuing to be a problem for the rest of my life, with no real prevention or permanent treatment, is too much for me to even think about.

[LBTC]

Hi, Simple!

I once had a similar problem...except it was 10 ribs, put out by a large mountain bike crash....and they stayed that way for 17 months. Physio Therapy was no help at all. It wasn't until I'd found a chiropractor (again) that I found relief.

Now, for those 17 months I had a constant muscle spasm in the rhomboid muscle - kind of beneath the lat, sort of where the lat and the traps meet. On a good day it was the only point that hurt, on a worse day the pain went from top to bottom!!

The crash was in 2000. 5 years later it is still a point that will flare up if I'm not good to myself. but it's way better than it was.

My cross training is kickboxing. Lots of back strengthening in that, and I've found it has primarily been helpful. But I also do yoga, and I can definitely tell if I haven't done enough yoga stretching....it's one of the first places to get sore.

I can do this one yoga stretch that hits exactly that point for me, but my bottom leg is bent under me and I have to use a towel, my hands don't reach!! but it is a life-saver!!

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/939_1.cfm

I also frequently will lay on a heat pack, sometimes just as I'm going to bed, to try to relax the muscle. Basically I know that if the muscles is getting rather sharp/sore, the rib will come out soon, if it hasn't already.

I'm now seeing a massage therapist for cranial sacral therapy, and I'm way happier with this than any other health care practitioner I've tried! She's amazing!!

Speaking of all this, I need to go do some stretches right now! Take care of you!!!

Namaste,
~T~

[Irulan]

Wow, that is quite the stretch.