Upper back pain solutions?
 

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.

Consult with a healthcare practitioner.

check with a bike riding chiropractor?

+1

Get your postion on the bike checked at a good LBS too.

Pretty much a novice here. It sounds like you been at biking a long time, aren't making newbie mistakes, but have run out of solutions. I agree that there is a time to seek professional help for problems. Having said that I offer two (probably lame) suggestions: (1) You asked about handlebar height, my usual riding position has my hands (on my handlebars) at about the same height as (or just a little lower than) my seat. If I have a setup with a significant drop I get discomfort in my arms and back. (2) I'm wondering if your back problem goes away when you don't bike. You might try not touching a bike for a couple of weeks. This might allow for healing/recovery to take place or you may find that your back problem is not just bike-related.

+1. I get the same thing and it is my top rib locking up and putting pressure on a nerve in my shoulder. I have to be careful to stretch often and if it gets bad, I go in to the chiro for him to manipulate my shoulder. Now, I understand that chiropractors in the US are considered somewhat suspect - in Canada they are highly regulated and are part of the primary-care physician network. If you are in the US you might consider talking to an osteopath.

In my experience, these thigns do not go away on their own; resting can help a bit but sometimes makes things worse if you stop movin.

Get a recumbent