Spinal cord shock from riding a bicycle can be painful, preventing you or discouraging you from future riding. It can be caused by improper riding techniques and a variety of environmental factors. Because spinal cord shock can be debilitating, it is important to understand why it occurs and how it can be treated.
Symptoms
Bicycle-related spinal cord shock can vary from a mild ache to an unbearable injury. Symptoms can include back pain that radiates down your legs, achy muscles and sharp or stabbing pain. You can also experience limited range of motion in your back, difficulty standing straight and problems with flexibility. Spinal cord shock symptoms can develop suddenly and last anywhere from a few days to several months.
Causes
According to the Sheldon Brown, spinal cord shock is typically the result of improper posture when bicycling. Riding with a straight spine or positioning your handlebars extra high causes the vertebrae to jam together every time you encounter a bump or irregularity in the road. Spinal cord shock can also occur if you fall off your bike or overuse the muscles, tendons and spine by riding your bike excessively or by not taking breaks as needed.
Treatment
Rest for a few days to give your spine a chance to recover. Always use correct posture when riding your bicycle. Arch your back like a bridge rather than letting it droop forward. Move your handlebars up and seat forward slightly to help reduce hyperextension in your spine. Take an anti-inflammatory medication such as naproxen or ibuprofen to help control any symptoms. See a doctor if symptoms persist or are severe.
Prevention
Strengthen the core muscles in your back, waist and abdominals with strength-training exercises such as crunches, pelvic lifts and squats. You can also use a stability ball to help exercise the deeper, hard-to-reach core muscles. If you are a smoker, find a way to stop. Smoking diminishes the levels of oxygen in your spinal tissues, which can result in injury or delay healing of any spinal cord injury. Lose extra weight -- additional pounds place strain on the spinal cord and back muscles.
