Cycling is an extremely popular and accessible form of exercise. Not only is it excellent for your cardiovascular fitness, cycling also helps to develop your muscle strength and aids your overall health. Needless to say, with any form of exercise, cyclists can be prone to certain injuries.
Cycling over long distances can put strain on different parts of the body, particularly your back, neck, shoulders and arms, and needless to say, this strain can lead to aches and pains. Whilst many cycling-related injuries are relatively minor, without the correct rehab and recovery, they can persist and be very irritating over time. Cycling with persisting aches and pains can be very uncomfortable, so it’s important to know how you can treat and recover from cycling injuries to help you get back on the saddle without further pain.
What are the most common cycling related injuries and complaints?
Cycling for long periods of time can put extra strain on your body, especially if your bike is not set up correctly for you and your posture is incorrect. Some of the most common complaints experienced by cyclists include:
- Lower back pain
- Hand and wrist pain
- Neck pain
- Knee pain
- Muscle strains
- Joint restrictions
- Hip pain
What can you do to help prevent cycling injuries?
Many minor aches and pains caused by cycling can often be addressed by altering the fit of the bike to ensure that it supports you properly and does not put unnecessary extra strain on your body.
Lower back pain is common amongst cyclists as when cycling for long distances, you retain the same posture for a sustained period of time and your lower back stays fixed in order for the hips to work efficiently when you pedal. If you repeatedly struggle with lower back pain when you cycle, it may be worth checking the angle of your saddle isn’t tipped down or angled up too far.
If your saddle is too high, this will lead to instability in your hips, contributing to pain in your lower back. If your saddle is too low, then your knees and hips will not have their full range of movement - remember, there should be a slight bend in your knee when your foot is at the bottom of the pedalling motion! A correctly placed saddle should help to prevent back and knee pain.
If you suffer from hand and wrist pains when cycling, it could be that you are holding your handlebars in one position for too long, allowing for tension to build up. You can try adjusting your gripping position regularly to prevent this. You may also want to check that your handlebars are not too high or too low as this may lead to unbalanced weight distribution.
If you are unsure how to set up your bike, then you can always take your bike to a professional. If you are confident that your bike is set up correctly for you but you are continuing to experience the same aches and pains, then it may be worthwhile booking a visit to an osteopath.
Osteopathy for Cycling Injuries
Osteopaths offer a holistic, whole-body approach to treating a wide range of injuries and complaints and regularly treat issues that are experienced by cyclists. If you are experiencing the same persistent injuries, aches and pains, then an osteopath will take your whole body into account to find an ideal treatment plan, rather than just focusing on the injured area.
By looking at the bigger picture in order to find the root cause of cycling injuries, osteopaths can help with rehabilitation, aiding cyclists to prevent future injuries and improving their overall performance.
Osteopaths use many treatment techniques, as well as giving lifestyle and dietary advice to help improve your general health. Some of the most common techniques an osteopath might use during a consultation for cycling related injuries and complaints are:
- Soft-tissue massage - massaging the soft tissues helps to relax muscles and increase blood flow through the body to aid recovery.
- Joint manipulation - osteopaths may gently manipulate the joins in order to assess and improve mobility, ensuring that you can regain your full range of movement.
- Postural analysis - osteopaths focus on your body as a whole and how your posture affects the musculoskeletal system. Poor posture can have a wide range of knock on effects
- Rehabilitation exercises and advice - osteopaths may recommend a range of stretches and exercises you can do at home to improve your strength and mobility, as well as aiding your recovery and performance moving on. Osteopaths may also give advice for improving your posture, or even reminding you to drink more water each day.
Osteopaths in Halesowen and Wombourne
If you are suffering from persistent aches, pains or injury, then visiting an osteopath may help you. Fiona Passey Osteopaths have practices based in Halesowen, West Midlands (0121 585 8555) and Wombourne, Staffordshire (01902 894 894). You can arrange an appointment here.
