rider carrying tension in upper back

[zoe352]

has any one ever found a rider that carry`s tension in there upper back
its like there tensing up there upper back but not realizing it

and know one that we know of can find a way to stop it
has any one else seen it
there in there mid 20s

 

[blitznbobs]

Im one of these people - i always get tight right between my shouldder blades… lower back is good i think it comes from my pelvis though which is much tighter on the right than the left which i am working on but i feel it in the left side of
My upper back … if you find a solution let me know

 

[All]

I can say that a. Back massage will help but it will not / is not a permanent fix
You can do some foam rolling
Or some bent over v rows which will stretch out the mussle and make it more supple ( but will eventually make the mussle bigger and may make the problem worse )

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Yes, and in the case of the person I knew, it was a lack of core strength.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Yes. I carry all my tension and stress in my upper back. However it gets sorer when I ride not because I’m still carrying it or because I have no core as that’s not the case, but sitting up and opening up my chest actually hurts more as the muscles are almost locked in place so I’m trying to force them to open when in a locked position. I see a physio every three weeks to be released and put back into alignment.

I also have right rear ilium ligament/hip issues due to injury which doesn’t help my cause.

 

[Carrottom]

I'm not particularly well endowed but I do find wearing a sports bra for riding helps my upper back.

 

[RachaelJC]

I weight lift for this reason, and do pull ups. Nothing overly huge, pull ups with a band that supports half of my body weight and bench press 40kg. This allows my back muscles to work rather than becoming tight and weak because they are contracting, relaxing and stretching rather than just becoming tight. It also works my pecs and lats which are crucial in overall upper back strength and stability.

 

[sbloom]

There is instability elsewhere and the upper back is trying to stabilise. Good biomechanics coach, bodywork from someone familiar with riders, and specific exercises. Weights can be useful but if you're crooked, or too weak in the area to do the exercise properly, they'll at best compound the issues, at worst cause injury.

A saddle change or tweak may be need to be part of a truly successful solution.