It may be getting wintery, but if you’re a keen cyclist, a bit of cold or wet weather won’t stop you! However, when pain strikes and your beloved bike is put aside to gather dust while your fellow riders are out accumulating watts, frustration is but one of many words that come to mind. Here, Alex Marek, osteopath at Shoreham Osteopathy Centre shares his experience and some valuable tips on avoiding pain and how to help you get back ‘on yer bike’.
Over the years, I have managed myself through a plethora of cycling-related injuries, including muscle strains, fractured ribs and to top it off a few concussions (inevitably causing ‘dusty bike syndrome’). Using my experience as a personal trainer and osteopath I now try to avoid most pitfalls, to help me, however, once upon a time this was not the case. Simple steps could have prevented my injuries. We live and learn. So, what advice can I give you that I wish the younger me had had?
- Is your bike “fit” for you?
Having a bike that fits you is one of the best ways of preventing back pain, knee pain and other repetitive strains on your muscles, ligaments, and joints. It works by optimising your position on the bike, the height of the saddle first and foremost, then the height of the handlebars and “reach” from the saddle to the handlebars. Each of us is differently built and your head, shoulders, spine, hips, knees, and ankles need to be in correct alignment when you are cycling to ensure you can use your body in the most efficient and least effortful way. This is particularly true over longer distances, but however far you are going to cycle, make sure you start right. There are some useful tips online (just Google “bike fit”), but preferably ask a local professional or experienced cyclist to help you.
- Panniers v. Rucksack?
You won’t win any style awards with a set of panniers but lugging your day on your back doesn’t look that cool either! With a rucksack, you get a sweaty back, pressure on your spine and it can prevent your ribs from expanding so that your ability to breathe is compromised therefore creating tension. Get some panniers. More breath, more oxygen, more power to those muscles! Ahhhhh. You won’t look back.
- You’re going to work, not going for gold!
I wish I could have told that younger me not to treat every ride like a sprint for gold. It’s very easy to overstrain muscles and ligaments by powering beyond your capacity and not realise until it’s too late. If you want to go to the “hurt box” and really test yourself, structured training and/or getting involved with organised racing is the best bet – this also avoids the danger of inadvertently harming other road users as you speed by them, let alone yourself!
- Stretching and breathing!
Longer rides, you can get stuck in a flexed (bent) position over the handlebars on a racer and, even with a mountain bike or hybrid, your upper body can become static and stiff, leading to pain and even numbness in the hands from compression of nerves and blood vessels. An extended neck and wrist position, hunched shoulders and a rounded back, is often the cause. So, when you inevitably get stuck at a red traffic light, sit up straight and roll your wrists in a figure of eight. You could also bring your shoulders back and gently rotate your neck and spine to either side, to release any tight muscles. Coming up out of the saddle and pushing your heel to the road whilst coasting, is also a great way of stretching out your calf muscles.
- What to do if you do experience pain?
There are many exercise-based treatment options available for lower back pain, including Pilates and core-strength training; there is also evidence to suggest that ‘a free-weight-based resistance training intervention can … improve pain, disability, and quality of life (measures) in those with low back pain’ (Welch et al 2015). However, I would advise not lifting free weights without correct supervision and technique, under the guidance of a professional sports trainer.
If you are concerned about any sort of pain you’re experiencing during or after cycling, advice, and treatment from a qualified therapist is often the best course of action.
