A month and a half ago I pulled a muscle in my back from doing a hop when I was bent over too much. It completely healed, and then I resumed hopping. After no time at all, maybe 6-7 hops, my back started hurting again, and I immediately stopped. I let it heal once again, then went out to hop again and bam, I had back pain. This has happened about 4 times since the first time I hurt it. It heals completely, then after a very small number of hops it’ll start bothering me.
So, should I just wait like 2-3 months to start hopping again, even though I have no pain?
Is my back screwed forever? Could there be something wrong with my hopping form?
No, I haven’t because the pain doesn’t bother me enough to see a doctor, plus I don’t have medical insurance, lol. When i’m doing hops is really the only time it starts hurting. Anything else, even lifting things with my back won’t make it start hurting(I don’t lift things with my back though, I squat.)
I should also mention the fact that I was doing hops for about 4 months with no problems whatsoever. The back problem happened very suddenly.
Edit: yeah st. augustine sucks, not enough hills, not enough trails. Muni, which is my favorite type of riding, is basically not an option here. The trails we do have just suck, they’re very short and boring.
I’ll get to a point soon I think so read throughly.
I road cycle and I’m on the saddle for hours at a time. I just recently got back into the sport 6 months ago and at the beginning my body had to adjust to sitting for a long time ie: my lower back was sore every time i rode for the first half of the ride or so and it bothered me, but after a week or two of riding/training there was no discomfort. It wasn’t just my back either that bothered me there was my legs to that needed adjusting.
For unicycling new musles were being used so I had to get adjusted to that as well.
I not only train on the cycle though I work out my upper body to which is just as important. The upper body helps with stabilization taking some of the work off the lower body.
If you have weak abs (stomach muscles) this puts more stress on your lower back which isn’t good. That is why as a cyclist I train both sections of my body.
I’m not sure if your into physical exercise, but its a start.
I have a back problem as well. Herniated disk between L4-L5. I still ride at least 2 to 3 times a week when possible, but i do a few things to limit the stress on my back. An air saddle is one thing, that certainly helps. I try to maintain a good posture while riding as well (although we all know that that isnt always possible ). While I don’t go down any massive drops, if I do drop off something thats any larger than a foot, i make sure I dont land with my butt in the seat, as that tends to compress the spine. If you’re still having problems, take some time off like you suggested. If the pain comes back, try wearing a lightweight back brace. I hope some of this helps.
When I was bussing tables last year my back started hurting more than it had ever before. I figured that it was due to carrying 30-50lb buspans 100-200ft dozens of times each night. I asked my mom about it (the pain) because she majored in physical fitness in college, taught yoga for years, was a masseuse for a few years, and now takes tai chi and continues yoga; so she has a pretty good understanding as to the importance of being flexible and physically fit. My father had 2 herniated disks from years of marathon running and skiing, but he stretched regularly and remained flexible.
Flexibility is incredibly important.
After I started stretching daily again, the pain went away completely. Doing toe-touches helps your lower back a lot. About 6 months ago I could barely touch my toes, but now I can put my palms flat on the floor and my back pain is gone.
I suggest simple stretches to improve flexibility.
(Yeah, Florida in general sucks for Muni, street, and natural trials)
). While I don’t go down any massive drops, if I do drop off something thats any larger than a foot, i make sure I dont land with my butt in the seat, as that tends to compress the spine. If you’re still having problems, take some time off like you suggested. If the pain comes back, try wearing a lightweight back brace. I hope some of this helps.