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[[old] SnakeMan]

Hi All,<br /><br />I'm relatively new to the rowing game. <br />I have been rowing on a concept D model rower for the past year.<br />I recently went to a chiro as I was having a bit of lower back pain and he quickly pointed out to me that the muscles on the right side of my back had developed significantly more than the left. This in turn has placed stress on my back muscles and spine and therefore the pain.<br /><br />Not having this problem before rowing, I am assuming my technique is flawed and for some reason I am pulling harder with my right arm and rightside of back. Being aware of this problem I have looked at my stomach muscles when rowing and they appear to pull to the left when im pulling on the handle.<br /><br />Is there any way to counteract this. I know the sensibly answer is to try and use the left side more but has anyone got advice on any tricks or techniques to ensure this happens. Has anyone else encountered similiar problems?<br /><br />Thanks in advance for any assitance.<br /><br />SnakeMan.

[[old] allapologies916]

do you row on the water as well? Because if not, then I have no idea how thats happening... Usually ergs are what people use to even out their bodies... um... I would suggest trying to just push evenly... Focus on being even with the pressure and that might help

[[old] jjpisano]

How old are you, Snake man?<br /><br />Is it possible you have degenerative joint disease of your vertebral column causing some nerve pinching?<br /><br />Have you ever broken any bones?<br /><br />I broke my left clavicle when I was 13 years old, so my left shoulder is a little more compact into my body with a resultant slight difference in the way my arms pull on the handle.<br /><br />Jim Pisano

[[old] psaint]

<!--QuoteBegin-SnakeMan+Mar 13 2005, 04:48 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(SnakeMan @ Mar 13 2005, 04:48 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi All,<br /><br />I'm relatively new to the rowing game.  <br />I have been rowing on a concept D model rower for the past year.<br />I recently went to a chiro as I was having a bit of lower back pain and he quickly pointed out to me that the muscles on the right side of my back had developed significantly more than the left.  This in turn has placed stress on my back muscles and spine and therefore the pain.<br /><br />SnakeMan. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Have you tried going to a real doctor for a diagnosis? This sounds like typical chiropractor flim flam to me. I'm sure he would like to see you come in weekly for treatments also.

[[old] HeavyPlus]

I'm new to rowing too and have had the same problem, not the backache, but my left side is stronger then my right (I'm left handed). The problem has been in my upperbody but not the lower, go figure. I have been rowing for six weeks, 3xweekly. Almost every workout, I experience something different; so what I say now may change in a couple of weeks, sorry, but at least your forewarned. Sooner or later I'm sure someone with more experience will have something to say.<br /><br />I believe was pulling to high, just below my chest, elbows out, leaning back, wrists bent, and forearms certainly not parallel to the floor. I have been pulling with the damper set on 10 which seems to be a 'no,no' too, but I haven't been able to give it up! My elbows are now in & I pull about mid-way between my sternum & belly button. I also lowered the foot rests...it's been a busy 6 weeks!<br /><br />The last thing I've done, & I think has done the trick, is focusing in on my legs. It brought my spm down to 21 from 28. I didn't pull any faster because my breathing became so heavy. After the workout, for the first time, all the 'right' places, no pun intended, ached, i.e. right thigh, right upper back muscles, & chest. My left side was fine, felt good.<br /><br />I'm not sceptical about chiropractors, a good message therapist can spot overworked muscles without even trying, why not a chiropractor. I would think over time your efforts will do wonders for your back. I am certainly please with the changes in mine, even after only 6 weeks.<br /><br />Good Luck,<br />Don<br />

[[old] seagulldc]

<!--QuoteBegin-SnakeMan+Mar 13 2005, 04:48 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(SnakeMan @ Mar 13 2005, 04:48 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi All,<br /><br />Have you tried going to a real doctor for a diagnosis? This sounds like typical chiropractor flim flam to me. I'm sure he would like to see you come in weekly for treatments also. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />OK. As a chiropractor, I'll try to not take offense. I assume you had a bad experience at some point, perhaps? You seem pretty biased against chiropractors. Chiropractors actually have more education in certain aspects of how the body works than most MD's. We just don't learn the pharmacology since we don't prescribe drugs. I will say that all professions have their bad apples, medical doctors as well....<br /><br />An imbalance of the spinal musculature could most certainly cause low back pain, especially with exertion of those muscles as they affect the spine. The spinal column encloses your spinal cord. This is the only way your body and brain can communicate. The chiropractor tries to work with you to allow your spine it's most optimal functioning, hence allowing your body its most optimal function. Chiropractors try to fix the cause of the problem. If the cause is muscular imbalance.... correct it. MD's generally prescribe drugs to deal with the symptoms without ever addressing the problem. For example, if you had foot pain because of a rock in your shoe, an MD might prescribe pain meds so you didn't have to feel the pain... A chiropractor would instruct you to take the rock out of your shoe.<br /><br />As to your comment about weekly visits, chiropractic is corrective care. The musculature did not become imbalanced over night, nor will it correct over night. When you get braces on your teeth (another form of corrective care), you don't put them on and take them off the next day expecting full correction, right?

[[old] eyoung@ochsner.org]

<!--QuoteBegin-SnakeMan+Mar 13 2005, 05:48 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(SnakeMan @ Mar 13 2005, 05:48 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi All,<br /><br />I'm relatively new to the rowing game.  <br />I have been rowing on a concept D model rower for the past year.<br />I recently went to a chiro as I was having a bit of lower back pain and he quickly pointed out to me that the muscles on the right side of my back had developed significantly more than the left.  This in turn has placed stress on my back muscles and spine and therefore the pain.<br /><br />Not having this problem before rowing, I am assuming my technique is flawed and for some reason I am pulling harder with my right arm and rightside of back.  Being aware of this problem I have looked at my stomach muscles when rowing and they appear to pull to the left when im pulling on the handle.<br /><br />Is there any way to counteract this.  I know the sensibly answer is to try and use the left side more but has anyone got advice on any tricks or techniques to ensure this happens.  Has anyone else encountered similiar problems?<br /><br />Thanks in advance for any assitance.<br /><br />SnakeMan. <br /> </td></tr></table><br />

[[old] eyoung@ochsner.org]

<!--QuoteBegin-SnakeMan+Mar 13 2005, 05:48 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(SnakeMan @ Mar 13 2005, 05:48 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi All,<br /><br />I'm relatively new to the rowing game.  <br />I have been rowing on a concept D model rower for the past year.<br />I recently went to a chiro as I was having a bit of lower back pain and he quickly pointed out to me that the muscles on the right side of my back had developed significantly more than the left.  This in turn has placed stress on my back muscles and spine and therefore the pain.<br /><br />Not having this problem before rowing, I am assuming my technique is flawed and for some reason I am pulling harder with my right arm and rightside of back.  Being aware of this problem I have looked at my stomach muscles when rowing and they appear to pull to the left when im pulling on the handle.<br /><br />Is there any way to counteract this.  I know the sensibly answer is to try and use the left side more but has anyone got advice on any tricks or techniques to ensure this happens.  Has anyone else encountered similiar problems?<br /><br />Thanks in advance for any assitance.<br /><br />SnakeMan. <br /> </td></tr></table><br />

[[old] eyoung@ochsner.org]

<!--QuoteBegin-SnakeMan+Mar 13 2005, 05:48 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(SnakeMan @ Mar 13 2005, 05:48 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi All,<br /><br />I'm relatively new to the rowing game.  <br />I have been rowing on a concept D model rower for the past year.<br />I recently went to a chiro as I was having a bit of lower back pain and he quickly pointed out to me that the muscles on the right side of my back had developed significantly more than the left.  This in turn has placed stress on my back muscles and spine and therefore the pain.<br /><br />Not having this problem before rowing, I am assuming my technique is flawed and for some reason I am pulling harder with my right arm and rightside of back.  Being aware of this problem I have looked at my stomach muscles when rowing and they appear to pull to the left when im pulling on the handle.<br /><br />Is there any way to counteract this.  I know the sensibly answer is to try and use the left side more but has anyone got advice on any tricks or techniques to ensure this happens.  Has anyone else encountered similiar problems?<br /><br />Thanks in advance for any assitance.<br /><br />SnakeMan. <br /> </td></tr></table><br />The reason that back muscles are more developed on one side of the spine than the other may be that you have some degree of scoliosis , or curvature to the lumbar spine . I have the same issue . My lower spine is slightly rotated and curved . The muscles get bigger on one side to try to compensate . I never really noticed it untill I was in medical school reading about epidural anesthesia . I would really doubt that you for some unknown reason , completely unawares pulled harder on one side than the other and caused this . My girlfriend who is a triathlete gets pain while rowing because she has thoracic scoliosis . She never really realized it before untill she tried to row on an erg . She doesn't row on an erg anymore ! I am able to row without any back issues .

[[old] Ducatista]

<!--QuoteBegin-seagulldc+--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(seagulldc)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->MD's generally prescribe drugs to deal with the symptoms without ever addressing the problem. </td></tr></table><br />That's an unfortunate generalization — as was psaint's slam against chiropractic. I'm sure the MDs on the board will try not to take offense, cutting you the same slack you're cutting psaint.

[[old] sivkoburko]

Erging has actually improved my back and helped eliminate lower back pain by strengthening it - main thing has been to concentrate on good technique, rather than racing through the metres. <br /><br />Having said that, I know I don't pull entirely evenly - difficult with one leg longer than the other and scoliosis that gives my right arm a longer reach - but the only real effect its had is an uneven pattern of callouses on my hands - more noticable and rougher on the right hand.<br /><br />Chiropractors/Osteopaths can work wonders - if the problem fits that sort of treatment. In the past I've found an osteopath is great for maintenance and just tweaking things back into the realms of workable, which tends to mean one or two sessions every six-eight months, if that.<br /><br />If you get a good chiro and the injury is suited to that sort of treatment, great, but ask lots of questions (there are good and bad chiros and doctors), listen to your back - how does it feel after a treatment? - and look for a long-term solution rather than a quick-fix. <br /><br />Claire