Originally Posted by
goose70
I managed to pull my lower back/upper-butt on Saturday after a hard 60-mile training ride, and am still very sore and stiff today (the pull likely happened as I carried large jugs of water to refill a fish aquarium right after the ride, so the lesson seems to be, avoid hard physical labor immediately after a hard ride). I signed-up for a hilly 100-miler this Saturday morning that I’m still hoping to do (preferably, with a fast time, so I really want to be as close to 100% as possible). The pain is to the left of my spine, starting at my lower back, working down the left glute and ending at my upper hamstring.
Aside from the obvious solution of rest (which for me means no riding or working out, but cannot mean bed rest all day), I’m curious about what, if anything, forum members have done to heal this type back pain before a long ride. In other words, WWBFD?
Thanks!
Don't rush off to a doctor or a PT; first thing is to see an experienced licensed massage therapist. Ideally, you already see one regularly, but if not, get a recommendation from a fellow cyclist. I'm amazed that so many cyclists don't regularly get massage therapy; it makes the rider faster, stronger, and more resistant to injury.