Mid-to-upper Back Pain

[[old] cuserower02]

I've just recently picked up rowing after a 4+ year hiatus and have been experiencing what I can only think is muscle pain in my middle and upper back. It's extremely tight, and while it's gotten better over the past week or so of continue movement, is still bothering me a lot. <br /><br />Is my posture off? Am I over extending or something? Any guidance would be great!

[[old] Alissa]

<!--QuoteBegin-cuserower02+Dec 4 2005, 01:44 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(cuserower02 @ Dec 4 2005, 01:44 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I've just recently picked up rowing after a 4+ year hiatus and have been experiencing what I can only think is muscle pain in my middle and upper back. It's extremely tight, and while it's gotten better over the past week or so of continue movement, is still bothering me a lot. <br /><br />Is my posture off? Am I over extending or something? Any guidance would be great! <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Hi cuserower02.<br /><br />I've just been rowing (erging that is...) since July. But I have upper back issues as well. I develop both upper back tightness/soreness and what feel like fist-sized cramps below my shoulder blades--sometimes just on one side, but sometimes on both. There is hope, because it has been getting better over time. (It takes longer when I'm rowing before I start to feel tightness & soreness and sometimes I don't get to pain & cramps at all--and I have less residual soreness afterwards.) <br /><br />For me, posture <b><i>is</i></b> important as well as technique. I was treated for kyphosis in my teens w/ a Milwaukee brace and the curve correction I was able to attain wasn't so bad as to still require surgery, it is still was not within the "normal" range. As a result I should maintain good muscle tone, etc., in order to "manage" the curve. Rowing has been more sucessful in developing and working those back muscles than anything else I've done. I've noticed that my posture is generally improving as well.<br /><br />Has your posture declined a bit over time? It may be that as you work on good rowing technique, you're also challenging your back muscles to work harder on your posture as well--the soreness might be an indicator that you're working those postural muscles! <br /><br />I don't believe you should be either extending or flexing your back while rowing (your goal should be stability here)...just swinging your back/torso (including the pelvis) from your hip joint as you sit tall on your "sitz" bones. <br /><br />Here's a description I wrote about what I've been being taught by Xeno Muller at the Iron Oarsman <a href='http://concept2.ipbhost.com/index.php?a ... st&p=36667' target='_blank'> in response to another person with back issues</a>, and for <a href='http://concept2.ipbhost.com/index.php?a ... st&p=31664' target='_blank'>someone who hadn't had any instruction at all</a>. Xeno sells technique and workout DVDs <a href='http://www.gorow.com/indoor_rowing_DVD.htm' target='_blank'>here</a> which you might also also find useful.<br /><br />At any rate, for me, assuming my technique is good, then I need to push myself (to make my back muscles stonger), but not past the point of pain/cramp. It's a fairly delicate balance. When I start to feel tightness or soreness, I monitor my shoulders and my collarbone to make sure that my head and collar bone are up and my shoulders are down (held down by my lats) and that my torso is stable and continue until a pause and then stretch those muscles. If pain/cramps hit I pause at the first appropriate moment (or immediately if it's really bad) and then stretch those muscles in a more deliberate fashion (applying pressure to the cramp itself) so that the cramp can release. Then continue, but in a bit more gingerly fashion. <br /><br />Take it easy.<br /><br />HTH,<br /><br />Alissa

[[old] Hal Morgan]

Go slower. Rest days are as important as work out days. Drink water. Yoga. All of these helped me in begining and, when returning after on water to my winter on the erg. <br />Always remeber you might have a medical condition that requires a visit, you might not, and you are just un-fit. <br /><br />I prefer a slow easy gate compared to my fellow athletes who are racing for time. I like to enjoyed my good long sweaty row today.<br /><br />best of luck erger.<br />Hal

[[old] cuserower02]

<!--QuoteBegin-Hal Morgan+Dec 4 2005, 07:33 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Hal Morgan @ Dec 4 2005, 07:33 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Go slower.  Rest days are as important as work out days. Drink water. Yoga. All of these helped me in begining and, when returning after on water to my winter on the erg. <br />Always remeber you might have a medical condition that requires a visit, you might not, and you are just un-fit.  <br /><br />I prefer a slow easy gate compared to my fellow athletes who are racing for time. I like to enjoyed my good long sweaty row today.<br /><br />best of luck erger.<br />Hal <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />hehe, I think it's the latter! I'm unfit and haven't rowed this much in about 4 years. Yipes! <br /><br />I think I'll have to take into consideration more stretching and better posture...<br /><br />Thanks to both you and Alissa for the suggestions!!!!