Does Cycling Cause Sciatica?

Sep 23

The short answer?

No.

(There. You’ve now read the World’s Shortest Blog).

Ok, but as a physical therapist, of course there’s more to elaborate upon than just that. So for the longer and more complete answer, read below:

While cycling doesn’t cause sciatica, it can aggravate sciatica symptoms or put you into a position where you may be more likely to develop them. Let’s dive into the reasons why.

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is a general term used to describe insult or irritation to the sciatic nerve, which runs from the spine down to the bottom of the foot. It can get irritated or entrapped anywhere it communicates with other structures, such as vertebra, muscles, or ligaments or joints. Sciatica is typically described as a shooting, burning, or throbbing pain that can be in the back or down the leg, typically the back of the leg.

Common entrapment points:

The spine:
The nerve roots that make up the sciatic nerve exit from L4 through S3. If there is narrowing at any of the joints here, it can cause compression on the nerves

Image of the nerve roots at the lumbar and sciatic spine that join up to make the sciatic nerve

The piriformis and glutes:
In 70% of people, the sciatic nerve passes under the piriformis nerve. It travels deep to the glutes in all of us. If the piriformis or glutes are shortened, they will compress the nerve and can cause symptoms

Glute highlighted in orange on the left, piriformis highlighted in orange on the right

Between the heads of the hamstring:
The hamstring is made up of three muscles: the semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and biceps femoris. The sciatic nerve runs directly beneath and between the lateral and medial hamstrings. If the hamstrings are not at an ideal functional length, they can compress the nerve as well.

Faded hamstrings to reveal sciatic nerve underneath

Plantar fascia:
As the sciatic nerve travels down the leg, it divides into several different branches. These can get entrapped in the plantar fascia and cause foot pain, or pain further up the leg.

Branches from the sciatic nerve, highlighted in yellow

The fascinating thing about nerves is they act as one big telephone line, sending signals back and forth throughout the entire tract it runs. That means an entrapment at the plantar fascia can send signals up anywhere into the leg and back, causing pain in any of these places.

So what variables regarding cycling increase sciatica symptoms or place you in a position where it may be easier to develop symptoms?

Cycling position

On our bike, we sit in a flexed spine and hip position. Flexing the spine forward requires the ligaments and muscles in the back to be flexible enough to allow for this forward bend. If they aren’t, they can pull at level of the spine and cause sciatica symptoms.

Similarly, sitting on a saddle requires our glute and piriformis to lengthen. If either of these muscle groups are tight, it can pull on the sciatic nerve

Hamstring length

As we pedal, the hamstrings need to be able to lengthen as we get to the bottom of our pedal stroke, then contract to help us finish our pedal stroke. If the hamstrings don’t know how to lengthen, or your saddle is too high or low, it will put extra stress through the hamstrings, which can then aggravate the sciatic nerve underneath. (hint: if you haven’t already, download my free bike fit pdf to ensure your saddle is in the right spot for your hamstrings)

Force generation

I talk with my cyclists a lot about how while we’re pretty good at using our hamstrings, glutes, and quads, our body isn’t as efficient at using the smaller, stabilizing muscles. This can result in less stability at the spine and hips, and more stress on other structures like ligaments, tendons, and nerves.

Ankle mobility

If you lack the ability to flex your ankle while you pedal (especially at the bottom of your pedal stroke) this can result in excessive pull through the calf and plantar fascia, and increase sciatic symptoms.

Just like with any activity, if our body isn’t efficient at producing the force it needs for a certain movement or sport, it will put us in a position that can put excessive stress through the nervous system and the sciatic nerve. While cycling doesn’t cause sciatica, some of the above factors may contribute to why you may feel sciatic symptoms on the bike. To ensure you don’t let this keep you out of the saddle, ensure you have a good bike fit and consult a physical therapist to ensure your body can perform efficiently and effectively on the road or on the trail.

My next steps for you: