Back Pain and Paddling

[Jim Dodd]

I know most of us "Older" paddlers, suffer some discomfort and back pain, while paddling for longer periods of time.

I know I've brought this up before, but want to share again a little trick, my youngest son, Nate discovered.

Years ago, While paddling in the BWCA, Nate said his legs and back where bothering him. He requested I pull over to a Beaver hut. After sorting a few sticks, for the right length to span the gunnel, Nate selected one. It had to be short enough, to miss catching his hand as he stroked. He placed the stick under his legs, on top of the gunnel.

Almost immediately he found relief.

I was in disbelief, and also tried it ! I now have a "Nate Stick" strapped to my inwhale, of my canoe, for when I need it.


Give this a try and see if it helps you !


A few pics.

 

[lowangle al]

Thanks for posting that Jim, sometimes just a slight change in position can be the difference of having pain or not. I injured my low back (again) in April and my PT guy told me it was OK to paddle as long as it didn't hurt. I had no pain while sitting, and paddling felt really good, both physically and mentally. He also told me it would be OK to ride a bike, and was right about that too. That is saying a lot because at the time I couldn't walk 30' w/o having to sit down and couldn't stand at all with weight on both feet.

I would recommend anyone with low back problems give paddling a try, (as long as you can get your boat in the water) If it's not comfortable at first try a different position. I found that the leaning forward and slight twisting during a stroke was really good for helping flexibility and the fact that I wasn't bearing weight on my legs made it possible. Since that time in May and early June I have had an MRI which revealed 3 herniated discs and 2 protruding discs. Had the PT guy known that at the time (he nor the other two Drs. I saw thought it was a disc) his advice may have been different.

I'm about 90% better now and have a non portaging overnighter planned for next weekend. I'm still not sure if I'll ever portage again but it looks promising.

I have a Nate stick just like that that I leave at my favorite campsite. I use it for kneeling in the center of my Malacite for fishing.

 

[Jim Dodd]

It's heck getting older !

I've had several bouts with back pain. So far I've had good results with a Chiropractor. In my case my neck vertebrae, Atlas and Axis, need realignment. Some times I can do it on my own.

Keep moving !!

Jim

 

[alsg]

I had back pain in my 30s, 40s and early 50s. It was the kind of thing where my back would seize up over random things. Sometimes just rolling over in bed might cause my back to seize up and cause intense pain. Since starting paddling seriously about 4 years ago, my back pain is totally gone!

 

[TrailBlaser]

Thanks for posting the idea Jim, I have had some back issues, so I will give it a try. I just did a 4-day trip during which I tried wearing the Jox compression shorts that I wore at the gym. They gave great back support on the trip so now I will be using them when I paddle.

 

[lowangle al]

I had back pain in my 30s, 40s and early 50s. It was the kind of thing where my back would seize up over random things. Sometimes just rolling over in bed might cause my back to seize up and cause intense pain. Since starting paddling seriously about 4 years ago, my back pain is totally gone!

I don't doubt that at all alsg, after 30 years of dealing with it, my back never felt better than it did earlier this winter. That is until I injured it on a Nordic trac ski machine.

Jim, I've had a few bouts with neck problems and would never swap them for my low back problems, I feel sorry for you guys and gals.

 

[recped]

The seat drops in your boat are very short, if I tried that trick in any of my boats my knees would be at the height of my shoulders (perhaps a light exaggeration).

 

[ppine]

I find canoes to be comfortable compared to a kayaks. I can change positions, kneel. stand up and keep going. I cannot stand paddling kayaks for more than an hour.
Your idea is a good one if it works for you. I bring a back brace for overnight trips. I stretch before I get up in the morning. I use a hot tub and try to life anything over 50 pounds.

 

[Jim Dodd]

The seat drops in your boat are very short, if I tried that trick in any of my boats my knees would be at the height of my shoulders (perhaps a light exaggeration).

I use a single blade (always have). The seat height is right for me and is stable enough. Those that use a lower seat, likely use a kayak paddle, or seek more stability .

Jim

 

[Guest]

I don't doubt that at all alsg, after 30 years of dealing with it, my back never felt better than it did earlier this winter. That is until I injured it on a Nordic trac ski machine.

Everyone’s bad back is different, and responds in different ways. Paddling a canoe usually helps mine along; I think the torso rotation is good gentle exercise. As long as it is gentle.

30 years after the fact I discovered that I had blown a L2/L3 disk, probably blown out in my 20’s. I could (and did) move pianos and my back would be fine. I could sneeze awkwardly and be in agony for weeks.

I absolutely trashed my back once, bad enough to visit the doctor for the usual (ineffective) muscle relaxants, and handout pamphlet of stretching exercises I was already doing.

In the exam room he asked “So, Mr. McCrea, how did you injure your back?”

“Well Doc, I was standing on my deck and picked up an acorn with my toes to toss off onto the lawn and that was all she wrote:”

I have never seen a physician try so hard not to laugh. And fail.

What works best in a canoe, for me, is a slightly canted seat, to relieve any seat pressure under my thighs. For my thighs even some bucket seat needs a wee bit of pressure reducing forward tilt.

Add to that wee tilt an adjustable foot brace bar, so I can gently push against the oppositional force of a paddle blade without overtaxing my oblique (or flexor?) back muscles.

That foot brace brings my legs/knees up to an agreeable angle, relieving my thighs against the seat, and my raised legs are braced against minicel “knee bumpers” extending from below the inwale.

Add a low, flexible-for-torso-rotation back band to that and I have six seated points of contact (feet, knees, back, butt) with the boat, which is enough of a held-in-place muscle relaxant that I can paddle the canoe all day long.

Everyone’s bad back is different, the old man challenge is finding the outfitting combination that doesn’t hurt.

That resolution could be kneeling in comfort. Sure as hell isn’t for me.

 

[Turtle2]

I paddled with a back surgeon once who said the canted seat kneeling position is just like the office chairs he prescribes for his patients

 

[stephaniefisher]

I know most of us "Older" paddlers, suffer some discomfort and back pain, while paddling for longer periods of time.

I know I've brought this up before, but want to share again a little trick, my youngest son, Nate discovered.

Years ago, While paddling in the BWCA, Nate said his legs and back where bothering him. He requested I pull over to a Beaver hut. After sorting a few sticks, for the right length to span the gunnel, Nate selected one. It had to be short enough, to miss catching his hand as he stroked. He placed the stick under his legs, on top of the gunnel.

Almost immediately he found relief.

I was in disbelief, and also tried it ! I now have a "Nate Stick" strapped to my inwhale, of my canoe, for when I need it.


Give this a try and see if it helps you New Albany Chiropractor!


A few pics.

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Using a stick to elevate your legs while paddling is a smart and effective trick. It shifts your posture, relieves lower back pressure, and can make a big difference on long trips. Simple, but it works.

 

[PortageW/Cerberus]

I've put back bands on all my canoes - has made a difference. Bigger difference is a pretty serious strengthening regimen that I hope delays the inevitable disc surgery by 5-10 years.

 

[yknpdlr]

Over the years I have had back issues, in and out of paddling and normal daily activity. At times my slipped disk between #2 and 3 has flared up, made worse by long time sitting. At times getting out of the car is so painful I have to lift myself up by holding on the top of the door window to get out. Can't walk upright until I take 10-20 steps when the pain recedes. Typically, the condition lasts for a couple of weeks. worst case has been during the Yukon 500 and 1000 mile races. I start out good, but after a few hundred miles I have to lean backwards awkwardly while paddling. A backband with a Nalgene water bottle pressing against my lower back helps.

More recently, after a winter of training indoors on a paddling machine canoe simulator with a single blade paddle, after ice out I began training on the water for an upcoming solo-rec class race, which requires use of a double blade paddle. I am not a kayaker by any means and I absolutely hate double blade paddling a canoe. Proper technique requires much more torso rotation to get power out of strokes than somewhat lesser one side torso rotation while using a standard bent single blade when paddling a canoe. The disk pain had increased so much that I had to cancel entry into that spring race, because in my training I knew I could not tolerate safely lifting and carrying my 19 pound carbon canoe over even the short 100 yard carry in that race.

I am now seeing a physical therapist who has helped me with an exercise routine before with a shoulder rotator cuff tear, and am scheduled to visit another sports physician specialist next week for a possible cortisone injection. I have a lot of paddling and fire wood cutting scheduled during the next few summer months.

On the other hand, during the late summer several years ago I slipped off a cabin roof while painting it, tearing my shoulder rotator cuff on the way down, making paddling, or much of anything else impossible with my right arm. I saw a sports injury surgeon who, after an MRI, said I definitely needed the famous RC surgery due to the severity of my shoulder tear injury. I had known other paddlers with the condition, so I already knew the answer to the question of how long I needed to hold my arm firmly fixed to my stomach area, waiting for the shoulder to heal. No way I could do that for the required next 3 months during the fall and winter months, since I was scheduled to race in the Yukon the following June and needed to begin immediate training on water and through the winter months on my canoe paddle machine. Besides, who would shovel my usual winter of 100+ inches of snow?

So, he said, using the MRI and X-rays he could direct a cortisone injection to the exact tear location if I wanted to try it to reduce pain. Starting out with gently increased training, that worked exceptionally well and I was pain free while training (and show shoveling) for the next 5 months, until the pain crept in again during early spring. So, I asked for and received another cortisone injection, which again worked through the 1000 miles on the Yukon at race cadence and has lasted for years beyond. To this day, and several Adirondack 90 mile races later, I have had no recurrence of shoulder pain during either normal or race usage. I credit cortisone, and especially using proper canoe paddle training technique with the apparent healing of my shoulder rotator cuff. I have high hopes for the same with my lower back.

 

[ppine]

A back rest can help on longer trips especially. I like a Crazy Creek chair because it does not interfere with canoe strokes. The rigid back rests often do. I have had back problems for over 50 years. I am wearing a back brace right now.