Low Back Pain While Surfing
You just landed in Costa Rica for your epic surf trip and of course, your low back gets lit up on the first morning out there. As a practicing chiropractor in Tamarindo, and a surfer myself, I have heard this story way too many times. Low back pain while surfing is far too common and really preventable.
Low back pain is the number one major injury affecting surfers worldwide. Unfortunately, it’s also the top reason why many surfers over 35 quit surfing. In fact, for most surfers who have been surfing for more than 20 years and are somewhere between 35 and 55, it’s extremely likely that low back pain will end your time in the water, for good.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to end that way. There are ways to increase your durability as a surfer, or any type of athlete, and continue to enjoy pain-free surfing for decades to come. Follow these guidelines to end low back pain while surfing and get back out there!
There are two main causes of low back pain while surfing.
The first is the amount of time we spend in a prone position. That’s the belly-down paddling position. And the second is forceful rotation in a flexed position, think of a cutback or even a bottom turn. Let’s talk about each of these factors and how to protect your low back from them.
Anyone who has enjoyed a ride at Boca Barranca or Pavones, here in Costa Rica, knows that you pay for it afterward while paddling hundreds of meters back to the line-up. But on any break, the amount of time spent paddling can start the low back screaming. That prone (paddling) position requires you to extend your upper back and hips in order to stay centered on the board.
The problem is that most people don’t have great upper back or hip extension. That’s because most people spend way too much time sitting. That shortens the hip flexors, and the hamstring muscles, tightening the hips. It also tightens the pectoralis muscles leading to a forward flexed position. All this causes many people to over-exaggerate the extension at the neck and the low back while they are prone on the board, paddling. This is the cause of most low back pain while surfing.
That’s why the number one way to fix or prevent low back pain while surfing is to improve your upper back and hip extension. Here are some great stretches and exercises that’ll help you do just that:
Here’s a good demonstration of a hip flexor stretch that will work for most surfers. The most important thing to remember while stretching your hip flexors is to concentrate the stretch right on them. If you push hard and extend your low back, you’ll be wasting your time, and worse, training the very movement we are trying to correct!
I also recommend using some form of self-myofascial release.
This is true for just about any tissue that you want to mobilize or stretch. If it’s been tight for a long time, just stretching is probably not going to be enough. In my practice, I use Active Release Technique (ART) to treat these tissues first and then teach the proper stretch techniques. If you don’t have access to an ART provider, or just want to take the DIY approach, get yourself a good tool for home tissue work. We work with Thrival Muscle Recovery and think it’s the best tool out there for all of your self-myofascial release needs. Here’s how to release your hip flexors before stretching using Thrival:
Next, we are going to focus on improving upper back (or Thoracic) mobility.
This is one of the most common mobility problems that I encounter with my patients. So many of us spend the majority of our time sitting and rounding our upper backs to look at our phones or computer screens. The upper back becomes very stiff and immobile without counteracting all this constant flexion. In turn, the low back and the neck must make up—or compensate—for that immobility, causing low back and neck pain.
Here’s a good demonstration of four thoracic mobility drills all surfers should be doing to improve and maintain good mobility.
Once you begin to work on thoracic mobility, you can start to train some rotation in a flexed position. Many major low back injuries are caused by this movement. We are talking about any movement where your low back is bending forward and rotated at the same time. Of course, this is a critical position for surfers, as it is for many athletes.
Don’t give up, train it. By working on your strength here you’ll do a lot to prevent these types of injuries. Here’s a great way to do it.
It’s so important to get these hip and thoracic spine mobility exercises part of your daily routine. I always suggest that my patients choose a few exercises that will make a big impact in the shortest amount of time. Then, once mobility work is a regular part of your life, you can add a few if needed. Don’t try to commit more time than you have in the beginning, that’s a sure way to fail.
And remember that sometimes a little extra help from a pro is needed. If your self-myofascial release and mobility exercise routine isn’t making the changes you expected, reach out to a certified ART provider, a good chiropractor or PT and get some professional advice. Next time you’re in Costa Rica stop by and see me!