Back pain gets better on bike

[TrekTheKaty]

Over two years ago, I had an episode of extreme back/buttock pain including numbness in my calf and toe that sent me to the emergency room. At the time I was a runner and had a stressful job. I ended up at the best ortho guy in the area and he scratched his head. The MRI showed a bulged disc, but apparently that is common--and shouldn't cause that much pain. Out of desperation, I went to my neighbor--a chiropractor. INSTANT relief. He diagnosed tight hamstrings, a pelvis tilt, pelvis twist, and previous blow/injury to my lower back--probably in childhood. He recommended I pick a new sport for awhile--maybe swimming and ICE, ICE, ICE. It took several weeks and two bottle of pain killers to get back to "normal." After a second episode, I demanded the Doc recommend a physical therapist. She was wonderful--didn't teach me any stretches I didn't already know (I showed up with a book, so she simply folded down corners for me) but taught me I would need to stretch twice a day, every day, for the rest of my life. She concurred that I had a twisted/tilted pelvis with a bulged vertebrae with tight hamstrings and hips.

I still stretch twice a day (there are great "back" yoga videos out there), see the chiropractor monthly, and switched to cycling. I know cycling tightens the quads which in turn stretches the hamstrings (I stretch after riding and the hammies are loosest then). However, I think I also "exhaust" my hips on long rides which is a positive. I hesitated to switch to a road bike because I didn't think I could take it, but it's actually helped my flexibility.

Thank goodness, I'm a slow runner and a terrible swimmer

[tctrek]

I still stretch twice a day (there are great "back" yoga videos out there), see the chiropractor monthly, and switched to cycling. I know cycling tightens the quads which in turn stretches the hamstrings (I stretch after riding and the hammies are loosest then). However, I think I also "exhaust" my hips on long rides which is a positive. I hesitated to switch to a road bike because I didn't think I could take it, but it's actually helped my flexibility.

I have a similar problem, except mine is a rotated hip which in turn yanks on my right SI joint around the back and down the front of my quads on one side. I absolutely know that if I stretch religiously I won't have spasms, but I frequently forget and end up in serious backaches that won't allow me any range of movement at all.

Somehow I have to develop the habit of stretching more frequently -- I know I will save myself a world of hurtin' . There's nothing worse than getting a back spasm when you're out on the bike and 20 miles from home!