Fellow Bikers,

I'm an experienced commuter and long distance tourer, as well as ex-competitive mountain biker. I use an aluminum frame road bike for commuting and the occasional road ride. I have recently started getting a pain in my upper back, between my shoulder blades, just to the left of my spine.

Initially, the pain started out as a numbness after long (50 mile +) rides, but now it is to the point where I can't ride more than about 10 miles (which sucks because my work commute is 25 miles). The pain lasts for days after a ride. It is to the point where I almost don't ride anymore.

I've tried strength training in the gym, stretching (both after and during the ride), anti-inflammatories, and even not riding for weeks to let any injuries heal.

My questions are these: Do I need to raise the handlebars? Buy a different stem with a different geometry? Any other suggestions?

Thanks for any help.