AVOIDING
SUP related back pain
Words: Elaine Farquharson
Pics: Elaine Farquharson and Peter Tranter
We don’t always consider what our core is doing when we are catching a wave or
cruising down the river but it’s an invaluable skill to be able to selectively position our
spines in a good alignment for paddling. SUP racers save on efficiency through
precise adjustments of muscle control to enable them to achieve performance, speed
and balance. It’s a skill that will help all of us to stay healthy and enjoy our SUP
experience more on the water. The reason I want you all to be aware of this skill is
because I meet so many of you in my clinic who have niggly back problems which
could easily be avoided with a bit of education and awareness.
So what is a good spinal alignment? The spine is a S shaped curve of bones and discs stacked
into a column to provide us with structural support and mobility. It helps protect our
nerves through the spinal canal and foramen as well as important blood vessels. In the
upright neutral S shape most of our structures are working at their optimum and
there is less strain through the system helping to prevent overload or injury. I guess
you can see our dilemma as SUP is not very forgiving on our posture and to be honest
we cheat a lot and don’t realise that we have lost our S shaped when we are having so
much fun!
s
t
a
n
d
u
p
p
a
d
d
l e
m
a
g
u
k
42