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Any help for pain in my back?

royaltyl

New member
I am in my last two days (maybe three) of a two-week trip to the West Coast. Got a Russel saddle installed last Tuesday and it is just fine-no posterior pain at all. Truly all day comfort. But my back! I get this pain after about an hour of riding between my shoulder blades. It stays with me all the time on the bike. I can stretch it somewhat for some relief, but it comes back shortly. When I get off it goes away. Any advice? How about the usual pain relievers, aspirin, Advil, Ibuprofam? Which works best for muscular pain like this? If it weren't for this and a weak battery, I would be thoroughly enjoying my ride.

Larry
 
If you're looking for medical advice, I use this Aleve you see advertised where you only need to take 2 a day. I actually just take one in the morning and am fine all day.
My knees bother me when I am working (driving bus). I have to load luggage and am crawling around in the (aluminum) luggage bay floor. That doesn't really bother me when I'm doing it, but when I am behind the wheel for an hour plus that when it bothers me, and the Aleve does help. It is expensive, but I think it evens out because a bottle lasts so long.
 
I am in my last two days (maybe three) of a two-week trip to the West Coast. Got a Russel saddle installed last Tuesday and it is just fine-no posterior pain at all. Truly all day comfort. But my back! I get this pain after about an hour of riding between my shoulder blades. It stays with me all the time on the bike. I can stretch it somewhat for some relief, but it comes back shortly. When I get off it goes away. Any advice? How about the usual pain relievers, aspirin, Advil, Ibuprofam? Which works best for muscular pain like this? If it weren't for this and a weak battery, I would be thoroughly enjoying my ride.

Larry
A heavy jacket and a heavy jacket combined with handlebars that could be in a better position (higher or closer to you) can cause that kind of knife edge pain. You could try wearing your riding jacket around for errands (not riding) and see if the hanging weight of the jacket gets the pain going. Good luck. OM
 
I am kind of stuck with what I have. A R1200RT, which riding position seems perfect. It is 5 Am here in Gunnison, CO I am up every 3 hours starting and warming my bike so it will go in the morning when I am ready to leave. It is 27F this morning and doing this it will start. Leaving it sit all night and it won't. This is with a battery which checked perfect at the dealer in CA. Perfect or not it is getting replaced. I will start the day with 2 aleve and see what happens. Thanks everyone.

Larry
 
The sharp pain between your shoulder blades is because you're reaching too far for the bars. Bar risers fixed it for me.
 
The sharp pain between your shoulder blades is because you're reaching too far for the bars. Bar risers fixed it for me.

Tom beat me to it - great advice!

Your posture is flawed. Get risers that set the handlebars both up a little and back a little - makes a world of difference reference the kind of discomfort you're experiencing. :thumb
 
Also don't hold on to the grips so tightly. Relax a bit while riding.

And do a shoulder lower often...amazing how your shoulders rise to your ears. It's something that everyone does...check it out every few miles.

And is your bike in an unheated space? And what viscosity oil?
 
I've had a bad back since I crushed 5 vertebra in a car accident in 1968 (doctors were shocked that I could still walk). On the advice of my doctor, before I ride, I take one generic Tylenol (Acetaminophen) and 2 generic Aleve(Naproxen). By taking the medicine before I ride, I find that my back seldom hurts during the ride. After some research, I found a lot of the expensive medicines use a similar combination. I also frequently take generic prescription Ultram (Tramadol) with the above medications (also on the advice of my doctor).

I have spent the last 44 years trying different things to help my back pain and the above combination has worked better than anything else I have tried. I really appreciate my attractive doctor who happens to be my neighbor and the daughter of a high school classmate.
 
The bike is outside and the oil is 10W-40. The waking up during the night and starting the engine seems to work; no road service today.

Thanks.
 
My 2008 RT has its original battery and 10W-50 motor oil and it started fine left out overnight during the RA rally (at Silverthorne), where temps made it to the 20s as well.

As always ... if you're concerned about heat (or cold) use synthetic motor oil.
 
I have the same problem in that same location. The primary cause for me is the weight of my helmet and the way I hold my head. I had the same problem wearing the steel pot in my military days when I didn't ride.

So for me, I try to consciously hold my head in a position that minimizes the stress. My favorite medication for muscle or joint pain is Ibuprofen. Good luck!
 
I'll go along with the bar position theory. Its all relative to your seating position but, as has been mentioned, you need to keep the shoulders down.

Did you have this issue before your new seat? You may have exchanged "pain in the ass" for "pain in the neck/back". :D

Adjust bars or seat to suit.

(Almost forgot... I use synthetic oil and charge my battery with breach of trust.)
 
I am in my last two days (maybe three) of a two-week trip to the West Coast. Got a Russel saddle installed last Tuesday and it is just fine-no posterior pain at all. Truly all day comfort. But my back! I get this pain after about an hour of riding between my shoulder blades. It stays with me all the time on the bike. I can stretch it somewhat for some relief, but it comes back shortly. When I get off it goes away. Any advice? How about the usual pain relievers, aspirin, Advil, Ibuprofam? Which works best for muscular pain like this? If it weren't for this and a weak battery, I would be thoroughly enjoying my ride.

Larry

I've recently added a Back-A-Line (see http://www.backaline.com/) to my barbacks bag-of-tricks - it helps reduce the slouch that I find myself getting into over a period of time (as in about an hour into a 4-5 hour loop) and has helped significantly with reduction of lower and upper back twinges / pain / etc. I haven't progressed to the use of meds (at this point).
 
As always ... if you're concerned about heat (or cold) use synthetic motor oil.

I wouldn't recommend switching to synthetic. It will find a way to seep through older seals that have no problems keeping normal oil.

Once the seep starts, one has to begin replacing seals.

It's not worth it.

I would look at battery too.

As far as the bike and back pain, consider lowering the seat to the next notch or two down. This will have the effect of bringing the handlebars closer and higher.

stretch your legs on the crash bars or cylinder heads if you need to.

Lastly, when you're on the bike to a full spine and arm stretch. It's very common for your muscles to get tight and painful.

Best to you!

Jim
 
maybe someone who can t free up time to make a cross country ride has a voodoo doll of you and they are sticking pins in the dolls back. Seriously though, I m new to my rt and in the 5000 miles since June i have started to consider barbacks. The pain i get is in about the same place and starts after a couple of hours ride time. I have raised the seat to the middle position and that seems to help so i ll give that a try for awhile before making the investment.
 
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