Cycling away the excesses of Christmas?

With Christmas over and all the excess that comes with it – we’re looking at your cheeseboard! - the yearly dash to attempt to shift the scales back in your favour has begun, and for many, the easiest, most accessible choice is to get back on the saddle; we’re not talking horses, though; we are talking bikes. 

With the mild winter and bright yet still pretty crisp weather, this year, more and more of us are taking to the outdoors early to kick start our year and burn off those unwanted extra calories. Sadly, I don’t want to take the wind from anyone’s sails here, but with cycling, I see several common injuries that arise and need to be looked at by ourselves in our osteopathy clinic. 

As an osteopath, I know that along with cycling comes the sometimes inevitable injuries that can cause excruciating issues if not approached in the right way. If these are not spotted early, they tend to return when you least expect them to. 

From my many years of being an osteopath, the most common cycling injuries that are presented to me come as a result of incorrect riding posture, so thankfully, they can be prevented by just taking a step back and assessing your set-up. This is a case of prevention to avoid a cure. Although you may think I am doing myself out of business by offering these tips, your well-being is ultimately my top priority. So, let’s look at the most common injuries I see and how simple adjustments can stop them dead in their tracks! I’ll start from the top…

Headaches / Neck Strain & Pain

This is prevalent, especially if you ride a racer-style road bike. Pain in this region is caused by overextension and arching forward. Prolonged periods of over-extension will result in muscle strain and joint pain, which can cause shooting pain across your neck and even into your shoulder blades and upper back. 

Headaches caused by muscle strain are commonplace and, all in, will leave you in a lot of pain that will be hard to shift without professional assistance. In instances like this, you should;- Adjust the height of your handlebars until you find the sweet spot to avoid arching forward.- Stretch before long journeys if you are prone to upper back and neck pain.- Schedule some pit stops on your journey if needed; don’t cycle through the pain.- Don’t cycle longer than you must; Rome wasn’t built in a day; take your time. 

Lower Back Pain 

Again, this is most commonly caused by over-arching your spine for extended periods. Prolonged pressure on your discs and joints in the lower back will quickly lead to a harrowing cycling experience. This is more common in cyclists who ride traditional mountain bikes than fully forward racing bikes, but the preventative measures are the same.- Adjust the height of your handlebars until you find the sweet spot for you and your bike- Stretch and warm up before your cycling exercise (well, any exercise for that matter!)- Adjust your seat height if you can’t quite find the sweet spot with your handlebar adjustment. 

Knee Pain 

Pain in the knees can present itself more quickly than the above and is the easiest to prevent. It all boils down to saddle height, and if, like many bikes now have as standard, you have a quick-release bolt to adjust your saddle height, a few simple tweaks and small test rides will quickly uncover the best ride height for you and your knees. 

The same tips apply if you are cycling at a gym; the vast majority will have options to adjust your ride position, but if the exercise bikes in your gym do not, don’t continue your exercise if you aren’t comfortable. Should this advice have come a little too late, or if you have reoccurring pain regardless of your ride height and position, come and see me or call to make a booking, and we can put a plan in place to help reduce your pain levels and offer advice on the best maintenance stretches for you and your situation. 

Until next time!

Sophie x

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