[bakerjw]

The teeter thread got me wanting to share this. I further strained my L4-L5 vertebrae disc a few weeks back and went to a local noted sports chiropractor. Along with some electrical stimulation therapy and a $200.00 session of spinal decompression that is not covered under insurance anywhere, they had me do some back stretching exercises. Of everything, the stretching helped more than anything else.

They had me do the following on an inflatable fidget cushion.
1 - Sit far back on the cushion to where you are almost off balance and reach forward as far as you can and relax.
2 - Sit forward on the cushion, pinch your shoulder blades together, lean back and push your chest toward the ceiling.
3 - Sit on one side of the cushion and reach over your head in the opposite direction as far as you can and then relax.
4 - Sit on the other side of the cushion and reach over your head in the opposite direction as far as you can and then relax.

If I do 10 of these, it is amazing how much the pain goes away. I think that the cushion forces the hip to flex more than when sitting on a flat surface. To do these exercises, I bought two of these for my wife and myself.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LR0XLHA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00

I will never have anything good to say about chiropractors after that

 

[cyclelicious]

^ good stuff bakerj

Back stretches are tricky because often times pain/tightness felt in the back is related to tight muscles in other places. Everything is connected. If my lower back gets achy, I do some targeted stretch /stabilization exercises that helps bring relief.

1) Cat - cow
2) Bird- dog
3) Side plank

There are also good yoga movements that I do and Abi Carver has a good routine:

It obviously won't fix any injuries or medical issues, but if it is just general stiffness/soreness it does wonders!

 

[SS Hack]

Pushups and single speed mountain biking are the only things keeping my back healthy. They work very well.

 

[BCsaltchucker]

mountain biking alone does it for me. I recently had to stop riding for 3 months due to heart surgery and now I have back pain complications. So I am getting back out there and it is helping already, feel better in the back now after only 2 rides.

 

[Fuse6F]

i also find relief from back tightness by getting on the bike and doing figure eights in the garage. While standing. Helps to activate the core and stretch a bit. Its hard to go slow while standing so it only improves balance etc etc. its very focused on movement and you will quickly find some interesting things about which side is good or bad and which direction is easier etc. at least experiment w it a bit. Use your elbows to catch your balance against the wall, make a game of it. How long can you standing balance etc.

can you tell we get alot of winter where im from!

 

[RustyIron]

I do exercises daily, which keeps everything in check. Up until a month ago, my back was a little more sore than usual. It had been that way for a while.

I decided to go on a particular ride that isn't well traveled. Here in Socal, some trails start getting severely overgrown in the spring, and if they're not maintained, stay that way until late fall when all the plants crash.

So the trail was pretty overgrown. But I don't care. I'm a badass. I kept riding. After a few miles, my buddy said, "Do you want to turn around?" Turning around is anathema to my very being, but I couldn't take it any more. I said, "Yeah, let's turn around. I'm going back to my truck and going home. I can't take it."

Over the following day, the itchiness was excruciating. It was awful. It was the worst I can ever remember. So I went to the doctor.

She shot me in the ass with steroids. Then she gave me steroid pills. And she sent me home with steroid cream. My hope was that I'd end up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime. But I still look the same, minus the red spots and itching.

What I didn't realize for a couple days was that my back was feeling GREAT! I still do exercises, but my back is feeling better than it has in a loooong time. It's been a month since I stopped taking the drugs.