BACK PAIN ON A MOTORCYCLE

BACK PAIN ON A MOTORCYCLE: CAUSES, REMEDIES AND EXERCISES

BACK PAIN, A MISTERIOUS STRANGER… THAT IS NOT SO UNKNOWN! LET’S SAY THAT IT IS OFTEN AN UNPLEASANT COMPANION AND, UNFORTUNATELY, AN UNWANTED PASSENGER ON OUR MOTORCYCLE RIDES! ON THE OTHER HAND, BOTH THE CAUSE OF THE PAIN AND THE WAY TO MANAGE IT ARE OFTEN UNKNOWN. WHILE ON THE ONE HAND IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THE POPULATION, ON THE OTHER HAND THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF CONFUSION WITH THE TERMS, IT IS NOT WELL KNOWN WHAT IT IS AND WHY WE SUFFER FROM IT.   

IDENTIFYING BACK PAIN

So let’s try to clarify a bit and then give some “tips” so that back pain is not a burden every time we go out on our motorbike. 

We would like to point out that the article is not intended to be a physiatry essay, as it is the case for the previous article on shoulder and arm pain, but only a starting point for having more elements to understand how it would be better to behave. 

First of all, it should be understood IN WHICH AREA OF THE BACK THE PAIN IS:

— Cervical: the neck area (it deserves a dedicated space, but it has already been discussed in the previous article)

— Dorsal: area between the shoulder blades to the end of the rib cage (dorsalgia)

— Lower back: between the last ribs and the pelvis (low back pain)

— Sacral: lower area, right on the sacrum (sciatica — lumbosciatalgia)

In this article, we are going to focus on lower back and sacral pain.

We need to find out WHAT TYPE OF PAIN IT IS:

1. Tingling and burning that radiates to the gluteus or even to the legs? 
2. Feeling stiff, heavy, distributed in a certain area? 
3. Precise and well-localized pain linked to a specific position or movement?   

1. If your pain is of the first type, it is likely that a nerve is involved, which when compressed or stretched, rightly complains and tells us that perhaps something in our back is not quite right. The sciatic nerve (sciatica) is frequently disturbed, which causes pain in the back of the leg. In some cases the pain could be generated by the femoral nerve (crural pain) in this case the problem affects the groin area or front of the thigh. If the pain is very severe, it does not pass easily, even with an anti-inflammatory drug, and it radiates downwards, it is the case that you go and talk about it with your doctor, who will indicate the most appropriate path to take!   

2. If the pain is band-like, on the other hand, you feel stiff and normally it appears when you are in a static position for a long time, it is much more likely that it is the muscles and joint structures that are struggling. In fact, very tight and stiff muscles tend to compress vertebral joints, generating a feeling of stiffness and pain. In this case, be patient and start stretching several minutes a day (or any activity that focuses on this: yoga, pilates, etc.) or get treated by a professional (physiotherapists, osteopaths)

3. Finally, if the pain is very specific, it is, presumably, affecting a joint that, more rarely, could be inflamed or, much more commonly, simply blocked. The pain in this case is related to the ligaments that surround it, which are, let’s say, all on “alert”.Even in this case, a lot of stretching combined with specific manipulation could easily solve the problem.   

REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN

However, let’s now try to understand specifically WHAT WE CAN DO ON A DAILY BASIS with some general guidelines that may work in most cases. 

If we normally don’t have back pain, if not in rare cases, and yet it appears systematically while riding the motorcycle, you are most likely very healthy but your driving position needs to change (don’t worry, maybe not the bike! Although in extreme cases it may be necessary…). So adjust your position on the seat: drive seated a little further ahead, use handlebar adjusters, modify the platforms, etc. The bike must have the right size and shape for you, ask your mechanic for advice.

On the other hand, those who tend to be stiff and perhaps do a sedentary job and low back pain is often felt, may find it useful to stretch, both before getting on and after riding the motorcycle, especially for long trips. And if you want to do some exercise even at home, it certainly won’t hurt!

Here are some suggestions for exercises to do comfortably at home and some variants that we can easily do even on the street, fully dressed, you just need to have your own motorcycle! 

EXERCISES FOR BACK PAIN

Prone quadriceps stretch:

• lying on the floor prone on a hard surface (the bed is not the right place) 
• I take the heel to the gluteus and grab it with my hand 
• I’m going to have to feel a stretching sensation on the front of my thigh.  

Sitting gluteal stretch

• Sitting on a chair 
• cross one leg over the other, keeping your knees apart 
• With a straight upper-body I slightly lean forward until I feel tension at the level of the gluteus/lateral thigh of the leg.

Squad stretch on the wall

• Supine, lying on a hard surface (the bed is not the right place) 
• I place my hips as close as possible to the wall 
• I stretch my legs so that they should stay straight. 
• If you feel too stiff, just step a few inches away from the wall. 
• The final position should be with the gluteus resting on the floor and the legs straight. You should feel tension behind your knees and calves. 

EXERCISES ON THE STREET

Lumbar discharge

• With wide legs I sit on my heels and to stay in balance I extended my arms forward. 
• However, if the position is too complex, I can help myself by holding on to something solid with my hands. 

Posterior foot chain extension on motorcycle seat

• I put my foot on the motorcycle seat trying to keep my leg straight. 
• Attention: the pelvis must be parallel to the bike, in line with the shoulders. 
• If you ride very high, no worries, same position, but with your knee slightly bent. 
• You should feel your calf muscles and the muscles behind your knee stretch. 

Gluteal stretch on a motorcycle seat

• I put my leg and knee on the seat. 
• When the leg is rotated externally, the outer part of the knee rests. 
• The pelvis is straight, parallel to the bike. 
• I lean forward slightly until I feel the gluteal area of my bent leg stretch. 

Happy stretching to everyone!

Angela Gottardi Osteopath