Lower Back Issues

I have persistent problem with muscle cramps and occational minor pain
in my lower back. It'e been there consistently for most of this year.
It's not really painful, and doesn't prevent me from doing anything,
including working out. It's more uncomfortable, just really tight
muscles in the lower back, all the time. I have tried to correlate it
with a whole bunch of activities I do a lot: sitting in front of a
computer at work, skate rollerskiing, classic rollerskiing, biking,
driving. I've had enough variation in my workouts and lifestyle that I
should have been able to isolate any single aggrivating factor, but so
far, I haven't been able to discern any pattern at all.

Mid-summer I saw a physical therapist. She thinks it's a problem of
weak lower abdominal muscles and/or a muscle imbalance in that same
region. She put me on a regimen of exercises to strengthen those
muscles. I thought it was helping for a while. But now, after three
months of religiously doing these exercises, my back is worse again, so
I'm starting to doubt it's having any real effect.

Is this a common problem with skiers or am I just feeling 40? Any
suggestions?

Thanks,
Jon

Hello,
I've been nordic ski racing for 20 years. I've roller skied and skied
thousands of kilometers. For years my back was a mess when I skied
classic. I would get severe cramping in my lower back and stabbing
pains running down my legs. I was told the same thing like you about
making the abs stronger or back stronger. 4 seasons ago an old
gentleman told me how he had to quit work because of his back. However
he told me of a stretch which put him on the road to recovery. I feel
fortunate to learn this stretch because it has alowed me to ski pain
free since. Sit on a bed, chair, or floor and lay on your back. Cross
your legs like a guy is suppose to. It doesn't matter which leg you
cross because you will alternate sides several times. Now reach up and
put one arm through the legs and one around and with both hands grab
the same knee which remains bent with the foot hanging toward the
floor. Pull your chest up and your knee toward each other. You will
feel and amazing stretching along the back of your butt, hamstring and
lower back. Make sure not to strain the neck forward. I have to
concentrate on this. Hold for at least 30 sec. and switch sides.
Strength excercises like back extentions and crunches only aggravated
my pain for years. Do this stretch for several weeks a see what
happens. For me this has been a god send. Good luck. If you have any
questions email me back. IT SNOWED 20 INCHES TODAY IN SPECULATOR, NEW
YORK.....SWEET!

wrote:
I have persistent problem with muscle cramps and occational minor pain
in my lower back. It'e been there consistently for most of this year.
It's not really painful, and doesn't prevent me from doing anything,
including working out. It's more uncomfortable, just really tight
muscles in the lower back, all the time. I have tried to correlate it
with a whole bunch of activities I do a lot: sitting in front of a
computer at work, skate rollerskiing, classic rollerskiing, biking,
driving. I've had enough variation in my workouts and lifestyle that I
should have been able to isolate any single aggrivating factor, but so
far, I haven't been able to discern any pattern at all.

Mid-summer I saw a physical therapist. She thinks it's a problem of
weak lower abdominal muscles and/or a muscle imbalance in that same
region. She put me on a regimen of exercises to strengthen those
muscles. I thought it was helping for a while. But now, after three
months of religiously doing these exercises, my back is worse again, so
I'm starting to doubt it's having any real effect.

Is this a common problem with skiers or am I just feeling 40? Any
suggestions?

Thanks,
Jon

.... Do this stretch for several weeks a see what
happens. For me this has been a god send. Good luck. If you have any
questions email me back. IT SNOWED 20 INCHES TODAY IN SPECULATOR, NEW
YORK.....SWEET!

This is a piriformis stretch...worked wonders for me as well.

Where did you get that snow report? I just phoned up to Lapland Lake
(about 20 miles sse of Speculator) & they got nothing, & said they
heard about 1" or so in Speculator. I'm in Schenectady and have
Tuesday off....
DF

That's one of the stetches my PT recommended, but she said do 4 sets of
15 seconds for each leg. I'll try doing 30 seconds per set and see if
that helps. I agree with the assessment of classic skiing, that's when
my back really complains! Lately, I've been wearing a back support
belt while rollerskiing, but I don't want to have to do that, because
rollerskiing should be building strength in those muscles, and the belt
protects them from damage, but also much of the benefit of the
exercise.

My PT also has me doing:
1) Back-ups - I am convinced this hurts more than helps
2) Planks - This is really helping my lower-abdominal strength, which
should be correcting any muscle imbalance, but that hasn't translated
to relief from the back cramps.
3) Hurdler's Stretch
4) Superman - I don't know the official name for it, but that's what my
wife says I look like balanced horizonally on my exercise ball.
5) Another exercise to build lower-ab strength.

Thanks for the suggestion.
Jon

That's a tough problem. I have had similar issues. Sounds like the PT
was headed in the right direction, but I don't think that the problem
is in the abs.

In my experience lower back muscle pain in athletes is caused by
imbalance in leg strength/tightness. In college I had back trouble
because my hips would rotate back. The rotation was because my quads
were weak/flexible and my hamstrings were strong/tight. Alternating
hot/cool pack and the hurdler's stretch eventually fixed it.

Although, it sounds like you're more of a biker then a runner. So I
would guess that you're quads are very strong/tight relative to your
hamstrings. Some low weight strength training of the hamstrings may
help along with stretching the quads. Do you also have problems with
your hamstrings?

AVOID backups!!! They cause more problems then they fix.
Avoid rotating the upper body around your hips.
Be careful with how you stretch. Rotate your hips to do hamstring
stretches rather then bending your back.

It's too late now, but I would suggest that once the problem goes away,
to lower the frequency of the exercises that fixed it.

Good Luck,

Byrnes-out

Most back problems in classical skiing are the result of technique
inefficencies. Common are hinging at waist, head/neck up or back
arched, and weight shift side to side not complete. Something to look
at. At the computer, it's usually the chair. Switching to an
adjustable office chair helped me.

ADK's stretch can also be done sitting in a chair cross-legged just by
leaning forward and holding. Perhaps a little less abs that way, but it
can be done anywhere. For me, stretching in bed every morning has done
wonders for my back (each leg to chest, knees side to side, both legs
to chest, pull both feet toward chest with soles together, hamstrings
with towel, etc., all gently - it's morning). Another area to look at
is the transverse abdominus, the lower back/core stabilizer that is
crucial in x-c skiing and most any other physical activity. Lie flat or
sit upright and pull belly button to back and hold. Further info about
it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transve...dominis_muscle
(graphics don't show it, but it runs on both sides).

Been a growing trickle of comments by back docs looking at longitudinal
data that back-ups or similar, with or without weight, are not good for
anyone because they speed spinal/disc degeneration.


wrote:

That's one of the stetches my PT recommended, but she said do 4 sets of
15 seconds for each leg. I'll try doing 30 seconds per set and see if
that helps. I agree with the assessment of classic skiing, that's when
my back really complains! Lately, I've been wearing a back support
belt while rollerskiing, but I don't want to have to do that, because
rollerskiing should be building strength in those muscles, and the belt
protects them from damage, but also much of the benefit of the
exercise.

My PT also has me doing:
1) Back-ups - I am convinced this hurts more than helps
2) Planks - This is really helping my lower-abdominal strength, which
should be correcting any muscle imbalance, but that hasn't translated
to relief from the back cramps.
3) Hurdler's Stretch
4) Superman - I don't know the official name for it, but that's what my
wife says I look like balanced horizonally on my exercise ball.
5) Another exercise to build lower-ab strength.

Thanks for the suggestion.
Jon

wrote
comments by back docs ... that back-ups or similar are not good for
anyone

What's the "back-up" exercise? I tried a web search for it, but found too
many other things with that same name.

Is there some other term for that exercise, or a link to a web page
describing it?

Thanks,

Ken

P.S. My take is that everybody's back is different. I have done and still
do all kinds of back exercises with and without weights. Over the years I
must have repeatedly practiced every technique error known in Classic XC
skiing or skating or downhill skiing. But I've never had any sustained
problems with back pain or function.

wrote in message
ups.com...
That's one of the stetches my PT recommended, but she said do 4 sets of
15 seconds for each leg. I'll try doing 30 seconds per set and see if
that helps. I agree with the assessment of classic skiing, that's when
my back really complains! Lately, I've been wearing a back support
belt while rollerskiing, but I don't want to have to do that, because
rollerskiing should be building strength in those muscles, and the belt
protects them from damage, but also much of the benefit of the
exercise.

My PT also has me doing:
1) Back-ups - I am convinced this hurts more than helps
2) Planks - This is really helping my lower-abdominal strength, which
should be correcting any muscle imbalance, but that hasn't translated
to relief from the back cramps.
3) Hurdler's Stretch

I understand the Hurdler's Stretch is old school and bad for your knees,
etc.
http://www.soccerdivas.com/stretching.htm

JF

wrote:


Another area to look at
is the transverse abdominus, the lower back/core stabilizer that is
crucial in x-c skiing and most any other physical activity. Lie flat or
sit upright and pull belly button to back and hold. Further info about
it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transve...dominis_muscle
(graphics don't show it, but it runs on both sides).


Doug Garfield's book "New Steady Ski for Nordic Athletes" has a lot of
excersises addressing the transverse abdominus etc.

If the problem is technique induced, you need to get a good coach to
see what you are doing. I participated in the XC Oregon Fall Ski Camp
last year and was experiencing back problems. One of the coaches put
me into a more agressive forward position with a rounded back and the
back pain immediately disappeared. I was arching my back while trying
to achieve a more agressive forward hip drive. I don't think that
anyone would have diagnosed the problem without seeing me ski.

Edgar

To feel the TA, put fingers a couple of inches on each side of
navel and cough.


"Edgar" wrote:


wrote:


Another area to look at
is the transverse abdominus, the lower back/core stabilizer that is
crucial in x-c skiing and most any other physical activity. Lie flat or
sit upright and pull belly button to back and hold. Further info about
it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transve...dominis_muscle
(graphics don't show it, but it runs on both sides).


Doug Garfield's book "New Steady Ski for Nordic Athletes" has a lot of
excersises addressing the transverse abdominus etc.

If the problem is technique induced, you need to get a good coach to
see what you are doing. I participated in the XC Oregon Fall Ski Camp
last year and was experiencing back problems. One of the coaches put
me into a more agressive forward position with a rounded back and the
back pain immediately disappeared. I was arching my back while trying
to achieve a more agressive forward hip drive. I don't think that
anyone would have diagnosed the problem without seeing me ski.

Edgar