While good for your cardiovascular health, too much cycling can put a lot of undue pressure on your lower back. This pressure can result in spinal problems that pinch or damage your sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back down through your leg. The repetitive movements in cycling can also result in muscle imbalances which manifest themselves as sciatic nerve pain.
Background
Your sciatic nerves run from your spine down to the backs of your thighs and behind your knees. They control the muscle contractions in the back of your knee and your lower leg. Your sciatic nerves also deliver sensation from the backs of your thighs, lower leg and the bottoms of your feet. Sometimes your sciatic nerves can get damaged or pinched, which results in a condition called sciatica.
Symptoms
Sciatica generally consists of a pain that goes from your lower back along the sciatic nerve in your leg. The pain is usually worse when you sit than when you stand. The pain can be intense enough that you have difficulty walking. You may have sciatica if you have chronic pain in one of your gluts or a burning sensation that goes down one of your legs. Your leg may also feel weak or numb and you may find it difficult to move one of your legs or feet.
Causes
Sciatica usually has its root cause in your lower back. Cyclists often experience sciatica from constantly bending their lower back while they cycle. Your vertebrae can become fatigued and worn after years of cycling, which can cause one to slip forward and pinch your sciatic nerve. You may also experience sciatic nerve pain from a muscular imbalance if the piriformis muscle in your hip becomes too tight to a muscular imbalance from cycling.
Treatment
Sciatica usually heals on its own when you stop cycling. If you experience acute pain in your sciatic nerve that interferes with your daily routine, apply heat or an ice pack to the sore area for about 20 minutes every couple hours, or use alternative pain treatments such as a massage, acupuncture or manipulation of your spinal column by a chiropractor. If your sciatica does not go away or if the pain is particularly intense, consult your doctor who may be able to prescribe pain medication or recommend corrective surgery.
Stretching
Try simple stretches to ease your sciatica if your pain results from a muscular imbalance. Lie on your back. Flex the side of your hip and knee on the side of your body in which you feel pain. Grab your knee with your opposite hand and pull your knee up against your opposite shoulder. Hold your ankle and and rotate it outward. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. For example, if you feel pain in your left leg, flex your left hip and knee, and use your right hand to pull your left knee towards your right shoulder.
References
- Medline Plus: Sciatia
- Spine-Health; What You Need to Know About Sciatica; Stephen H. Hochschuler, M.D.
- "Yoga Journal"; Easy Rider; Matthew Solan
- Sciatic-NervePain.net: How Cycling and Back Are Related?
- Spine-Health; Sciatica Treatment; Stephen Hochschuler, M.D.
- Rice University: The Piriformis Syndrome
