Strategies for dealing with lower back pain

[Ed Howe]

Hi,
I'm in my early forties. Started erging about 3x/week in late january. Love it and I want to continue. However every week or two I seem to tweak my lower back in a way that gives me an ache that lasts between one and four days.

I'm wondering what I may be doing that causes this/if it's something that will get better with time/or if there are specific strengthening or stretching exericises I could be doing to help.

I'm not in bad shape but I'm not in great shape. My weight is fine and I walk about 30 miles a week--but up until now that's been it for exercise. My posture has always been pretty bad...but rowing is helping, I think.

Ironically, when I use the best form, when I sit up very straight and push my butt out at the end of the drive, (as a good rowing coach showed me) that's when I seem to do the damage. Also, when I'm really pushing myself toward a new PB that can trigger it too.

Any thoughts/advice?
Thx,
Ed

[Citroen]

Drop the damper lever down from level 10. Discover how to get your PM2 or PM3 to show drag factor and row on somewhere between 115 and 135.

[You may notice this is my stock advice for newcomers.]

[PaulH]

Ironically, when I use the best form, when I sit up very straight and push my butt out at the end of the drive, (as a good rowing coach showed me) that's when I seem to do the damage. Also, when I'm really pushing myself toward a new PB that can trigger it too.

It may just be your description, but pushing your butt anywhere at the end of the drive is not a good technique. Even pushing it out at the end of the recovery isn't really a good thing; you want to be leaning forwards, but only as far as you can manage by rotating at the hip, not by rounding your back. It's better to lose some length by not getting that last bit of reach than to cheat.

The other thing is that during a PB technique it's pretyt much inevitable that your form will slip, so you are likely to increase the risk to your back. With practice you can minimize this to a greater or lesser extent!

Cheers, Paul

[MomofJBN]

Ironically, when I use the best form, when I sit up very straight and push my butt out at the end of the drive, (as a good rowing coach showed me) that's when I seem to do the damage.

I agree with Paul. This sounds strange to me to. Do you mean not letting your hips tuck under? You do want your hips square and not tucked under. Also, don't forget to support your back with your ab's.

[Ed Howe]

Hi--
Citroen, I'm erging with the damper just at the line between 2 and 3, and my drag factor is in line.
Paul, that's interesting about not pushing your butt at the end of the drive, I can certainly attest that it's uncomfortable, so I don't do it that often. I understand about not reaching too far and not rounding my back--learned that when my seat started bumping my heels
I feel intuitively that it's probably a lack of strength or flexibility in that part of my body...any ideas for how to strengthen it?
--Ed

[PaulH]

Well pretty much everyone, me included, does insufficient core exercises, so that would be a good thing to look at The other thing is stretching to help you get the reach at either end - I know I'm limited in this respect. Sadly the fact that I'm so bad at these things means I'm not qualified to advise on exactly how.

[Ed Howe]

Well it's been a few weeks since my orignal post and my back has gotten a lot better! I really think the major reasons I was having back pain, as Paul suggests, had to do with weak core muscles, that and I was pushing myself too hard.
I think by taking it a little slower and having patience with my progress instead of trying to improve my rankings as quickly as possible have done the trick. I've just been concentrating on good solid 1/2 hour workouts at a brisk but sustainable pace--nothing too fancy! I think this has also allowed my core muscles to strengthen gradually which in turn is leading to better times!