Back pain

Discussion in 'New Riders' started by djenkins, Apr 27, 2016.

  1. djenkins

    djenkins New Member

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    This isn't a question about the VFR so much as it is about riding in general, but since I own a VFR I hope no one will mind my asking it here.

    I bought a 2007 VFR800 in February and have had it out now about a dozen times, longest ride so far about 35 miles for a little over an hour in the saddle. It's really growing on me--the handling especially is amazing, it's so damn much fun in corners. I've decided to name her Lolita; she is after all only 9 and yet attempting to seduce me.

    I'm 65 years old, in very good health but I know I'm not as strong (or good looking) as I once was. A few years ago I had pretty bad back/abdominal problems after lifting and carrying my 75 lb dog several times in one day. I got treated and eventually everything returned to normal. The last two weeks however the pain has returned, in the lower back and abs. Beside riding the bike, I've also been spending more time than usual sitting at my desk working, which my chiropractor has warned me is terrible for the back. IOW, Lolita may have nothing to do with my problem. I would however be grateful to know if anyone has experienced lower back pain due to riding, and if so how you dealt with it. (BTW, a like-new Sargent seat I found for a good price on e-bay should arrive in a few days, it should be an improvement over the stock seat.) I'd be grateful for any advice or suggestions.

    Dave
     
  2. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Kind of depends where the pain is located in your back. L5 to L7 are the "usual" problem areas.. Having had two lumbar laminctomies, riding is painless as opposed to lifting anything over aboot 50 lbs and doing whatever to Lolita.. I do have a custom seat and Helibars on one bike that I have had since 1991.

    I am not a big fan of chiropractors or Osteopaths for medical treatment.
     
  3. Jeff_Barrett

    Jeff_Barrett Member

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    Never had an issue myself ... but I do strength training focusing on my abs, back, shoulders, and buttocks. It's make a huge difference in my riding endurance and comfort.

    A good set of Heli-Bars or Converti-Bars will help sit you upright a little more if that helps your back.
     
  4. GigemVFR

    GigemVFR New Member

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    Stretching and exercises, especially that help back in your case, go along way in riding comfort as Jeff mentioned. Personally, riding has never caused any back aches but I also try to maintain a good riding posture (well, I try at least). My problem was always my wrists/hands but installation of risers has helped with that.
     
  5. sunofwolf

    sunofwolf New Member

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    the sarget seat and helibars for me, add lowering pegs too. and don't forget to check your shocking stuff.:madgrin:
     
  6. Mark919

    Mark919 New Member

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    I'm a few years older than you are and I've had back issues for decades. I've exercised and stretched for years and try to treat it well and at this point it's just arthritic. Being retired I sit a lot less than when I worked sitting at a desk and I walk more - that's all good.
    I do find that riding in a car for more than 1/2 hour is uncomfortable and I'm really stiff when I get out of the car. But riding the VFR is not a problem. I'm able to move around on the seat and I try to use good posture. I like the slightly sporty ergonomics. It's way better than sitting on your spine as you would with a cruiser. The seat is the only comfort issue. The sargent is a big improvement but it's not 'great'.
    In other words - don't give up on the VFR! It's not the problem and it can actually make your back feel better.
    Good luck!
     
  7. V4toTour

    V4toTour New Member

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    Helibars, Airhawk R.
     
  8. RVFR

    RVFR Member

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    Can't wait to see what Randy has to say........... Kinda interesting how those not motorcyclist look at sport bikes in general as uncomfortable, most believe sitting like in a lounge chair is the best way to get around cruiser style. ha-ha if they only knew just how bad a cruiser is on your body. Yes hang in there, lots of ab/core work will pay back a nice return, just stay lose, Yoga is your friend too.
     
  9. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    If I could hit a thank you a dozen times for this post showing my total agreement with you I would.

    Very brief history with me. Lumbar back was first injured in 1978, and re-injured so many times I have to stop and really think how many. Three surgeries and a go around with temp paralysis last time around. Now have permanent nerve damage on right side, considerable loss of feeling on the right thigh, total numbness on the right lower leg and numbness on the big toe.

    I too am retired, twice actually and tried to re-enter the work force driving truck, long haul, but could not do so because of severe pain akin to a hot poker being shoved through the right buttocks through the groin and all the way don the leg. This also happens after riding in just about any car and my pick up within and hour or less. But I will get on the bike and do a 1000 mile/24 hour Iron Butt Challenge on the bike. Sure, the back gets a little sore, actually quite sore, but it is very easily walked out when I get off the bike for fuel, then right back on again and away I go. I don't know why the bike riding is better than driving or riding as a passenger in a car but it is, and I am not complaining.

    I am gearing up to drive half way across this country this summer pulling a fifth wheel RV in my truck this summer. That is going to be interesting. There could be a 5th wheel and truck for sale in September. I do believe riding a cruiser would just kill by lower back.

    BTW. Injury is in the L3-4 and L5 area. I know a horse doctor here in town that I try to avoid. He is partial to rifles.
     
  10. The Red

    The Red New Member

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    Just recently picked up a 2014 VFR and the change in riding posture from my previous bike caused some lower back discomfort... shoulders too.

    Spending more time on the bike certainly helped as the pain has now subsided. Timely post as I was just pondering that today on the commute home.
     
  11. fatbastard

    fatbastard New Member

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    A liberal sprinkling of arthritis for me too. Neck, right shoulder, thoracic spine (associated with a couple of compressed vertebrae), sacral area has some deterioration and my sacroiliac joints are fused, both wrists are a bit dodgy one ankle has a reduced range of motion and I have sciatica sending me regular wake up calls down the right leg. Considering I'm not fifty yet I'm certainly getting a sneak preview of the aging process. Sitting in a car or on a plane can be purgatory, getting on a bike is a blessed relief, but no, I don't do cruisers either. I think you're on the right track, it's more likely to be sitting at the desk than the riding the bike.

    Personally I avoid chiropractors, I'm sure there are some good ones, but there are some pretty shonky ones too and they're not that well regulated. I know one guy who very nearly died and was left with significant brain damage due to a torn vertebral artery from chiropractic treatment. They are rarely medical professionals, they have little professional regulation, they often advertise free x-rays then use cheap, out-dated high dose x-ray equipment and there is not much actual evidence that they do much good. They've got more going for them than Homeopaths, but that's not saying much. While most of the Chiropractic associations will deny this there is a growing body of evidence that the risk of stroke associated with neck manipulation is orders of magnitude higher than they would have you believe. I have no desire to offend any chiropractors who may be on the forum, but sorry just calling it as I see it.

    If you want treatment for anything musculoskeletal, I can't recommend a good physiotherapist highly enough. They are generally better educated, professionally regulated, use evidence based techniques and you won't leave their clinic with more damage than you arrived with. They will set you up with maintenance exercises and you won't be going back every few weeks for "adjustments" because they tend to actually fix the problem. So while they may be more expensive by the hour, they're usually cheaper in the long run.

    I've now been sitting at my desk too long and my backs telling me to go for a ride now, so I will :)
     
  12. skimad4x4

    skimad4x4 "Official" VFRWorld Greeter

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    Dave

    Others have covered most of the VFR related stuff - I agree it may be worth fitting Helibars as they will allow a more upright back friendly riding position and a sargent seat will look great and should have more padding than a stock seat.


    As for the office - you might want to invest in a proper othropaedic kneeling office chair (better still get work to buy it for you as new ones are not cheap). This sort of thing on eBay UK - looks weird but really can improve your workstation posture.

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kneeling-...-swivel-black-height-adjustable-/191856758926

    Also ask your HR people to arrange a proper workstation ergonomics evaluation. It may be your desk height is too low - forcing you to lean forward to use the keyboard and stressing your back and potentially damaging you spine/discs.

    If you really are doing a lot of keyboard bashing, then get an ergonomic keyboard as they can help stave off RSI damage to your hands - something, which once you suffer from, will rarely go away. Weirdly the best keyboards I found were made by a company called Trust (I suspect no longer trading) which do pretty much the reverse of most keyboards and instead of having pegs to raise the back of the keyboard they have them at the front along with a wide wrist rest at the front with the keys curved at the centre to allow your fingers to fall far more naturally onto the keys.

    keyboard.jpg

    If nothing else it is well worth arranging an appointment with a decent sports physio. The staff at almost any sports hall/gym will generally know who is any good. A physio should help you identify the source of your back issues and work out an exercise regime to hopefully put things right again.

    Take care



    SkiMad
     
  13. Knight

    Knight New Member

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    Squeeze the tank with your legs and continue to build your leg strength. This will take as much pressure off of the back as is possible.
     
  14. PawnBoy

    PawnBoy New Member

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    Everyone that has back pain is different. Like some others on here I have a lumbar disc injury or two and I actually find the leaned forward position on the VFR one of the more comfortable positions to stay in for a while. Cycling on hunched over road bike is also something I can manage, meanwhile supposedly comfortable positions like the car or my wife's dual sport motorcycle can give me discomfort or even flare up the back injury if I'm not careful.

    As far as work goes, I've been fortunate enough to get a sit/standing desk at work, so I can change positions regularly to help deal with any discomfort from staying in one position for two long.
     
  15. Jeff_Barrett

    Jeff_Barrett Member

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    We've got those too ... our employer gets them for everyone along with standing mat. Fantastic stuff.
     
  16. marriedman

    marriedman New Member

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    Man, this post could have come straight outta my mouth.

    I am actually surprised by how many of us there are that have back injuries that can handle riding the bike better than riding in a car. As others have already stated, I too have strengthened my core, back, and legs. But RVFR is the only one to mention yoga. Laugh all you want, lord knows I scoffed at the idea, but yoga has helped me immensely in all around movement. And I only go to a class once a week. I'm sure once I start doing it at home when I become more confident that I will see even more improvement.
     
  17. Knight

    Knight New Member

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    The vibrations from the bike are sympathetic to my nerves. Even though I have constant migraine pain, and feel the back strain like anyone, I feel like I have a painkiller high while riding. I get off and pain comes back in 10-15 minutes. Well you can see the motivation for me! Maybe someone else has felt this effect but mistook it for general riding happiness?
     
  18. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    If this is the case, a Harley may be the cure for cancer.
     
  19. djenkins

    djenkins New Member

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    I appreciate all the replies tremendously. Just to respond to a few of the suggestions:

    Years ago I owned a kneeling chair, and loved it. I need to get another one. The latest back flair-up started with a spasm at 5:30 am while I was sitting in my office chair working. It's almost certainly the chair, and sitting in it for too many hours, and not the bike that's the cause of my problem.

    Once the pain subsides enough I'm going back to 3-per-week sessions at the gym. I'm certain poor core strength and too much sitting is the root cause of this problem.

    I've got a back support (one of those stretchy things that wrap around your waist) that I'm going to wear the next time I take Lolita out, to see if it helps. Hopefully the ab exercises at the gym will eventually make the support unnecessary.

    If the bike has anything to do with this problem, it's probably because I've been tense while riding it, and that tension has found its outlet in my spine. Just about every time I take it out I head for an empty parking lot to practice tight slow-speed U turns. That is stressful, but I need to master it to be safe. The last few times out I really focused on good posture, gripping the tank with my knees, relaxing the shoulders and arms and enjoying the experience. It worked, I really had a good time with her.

    If all else fails, I'll call the orthopedic guy who fixed my wife's rotator cuff two years ago (100% recovery, she could pitch in the big leagues if she wanted to).

    Thanks again for all the suggestions and encouragement.
     
  20. fatbastard

    fatbastard New Member

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    One more post, I have colleagues who also swear by the sit stand desks, but one has taken it another step further and is using a Salli saddle seat. These are actually designed for dentists but they take all the pressure off your tail bone and the saddle can move if you lean to pick things up off the desk for example. In other words it puts you in a similar position to riding. That combination of sit/stand desk and the Salli saddle seat have been superb for her back problems which mostly date back to her competitive hockey playing days.
     
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