Cycling and low back pain

Low Back Pain and Cycling

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Low back pain affects many cyclists and triathletes. The nature of the sport puts the low back at risk for developing an injury. Cyclists are bent forward for several hours at a time which can cause excessive compression, and stretching into the lower back. Low back pain and cycling position go hand in hand. I am not just talking about getting a bike fit to cure all of you back pain ailments. I am talking about HOW to position yourself in the best possible way to minimize stress into your low back. Lets dive in!

What Causes Low Back Pain During Cycling?

There are a few factors that cause lower back pain while cycling. The first is a phenomenon called, “ligamentous creep”. Our ligaments are the strong supports structures of the spine and are resistant to stretch. However, this rigid structures will begin to stretch when held in a lengthened position over a long period of time. When the ligaments are stretched and not supporting your back as they are designed to do, injury can occur. Pedaling forcefully with an unstable back will lead to more lower back strain. The more strain will result in pain during and after cycling.

Muscles will also cause myofascial pain when strained. When in a bent forward position, the lower back muscles often get sore and painful as the ride continues. They support the back as best as possible but eventually fatigue, over stretch and then become a source pain.

The last common causes of low back pain in cyclists are joint and disc related low back pain. We see this type of pain in patients with preexisting arthritis in their lower back and or previous injury. Bent forward positions can cause aggravation to previous disc injuries such as annular tearing, bulge, and herniation.

Bike Fit Cures Low Back Pain Right?

Bike fit is HUGELY important for helping manage low back pain and any other musculoskeletal issue for that matter. However, you must learn how to position your body and coordinate your muscles to help support your spine! Even with the best bike fit, low back pain can persist if you are not positioning yourself correctly. I will not get into specific bike fit changes that can help with low back pain. Saddle position and type are two factors that allow a cyclist to adopt a more stable position for their back.

Proper Bike Position For Low Back Pain

In the video, I discuss strategies to get the most out of your core muscles to protect your lower back. Not only will you protect your body, you will increase your performance! Sitting properly and engaging the correct muscles will put more power to the pedals!

https://youtu.be/gENNYIFkEoE

Bike fit, proper positioning, and a routine core/flexibility program will help keep you pain free and enjoy riding your bike! For further improvement in bike positioning check our our blog post on positioning for neck pain and headaches. Consult a sports chiropractor familiar with cycling if you are dealing with an injury. We treat countless cyclists and triathletes at our San Diego based sports chiropractic clinic, Peak Form health Center. We are conveniently located in Mission Valley, San Diego! Schedule online by clicking on the “Schedule an Appointment” tab above.

Bike Position Neck Pain and Headaches

Neck Pain and Headaches, Bike Position

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Neck pain and headaches affect many cyclists and triathletes. The occurrence, and severity increases when a cyclists transitions to or consistently performs long distance cycling (2 hours or greater). It is fairly obvious why bike positioning could increase neck pain and headache symptoms. Cyclists hold relatively the same position for extended periods of time. This results in tightening of the muscles, stiffening of the spinal joints, and decreased blood flow to those structures. Eventually, with enough tightening and stiffening of these structures, pain will develop. This post will cover strategies to eliminate neck pain and headaches due to bike position.

Bike Fit

First and foremost, you need to have a bike that is the right size for your body and you need to have a bike fit by an experienced bike fitter. If you are already prone to having bouts of neck pain and or headaches, this is important to mention during the bike fit process.

There is a range of positions that will work for you in terms of a bike fit. It all depends on your goals, flexibility, strength, and injuries. If you are relatively flexible, no history of injuries, and are racing in races that are less than 30 minutes, a bike fit specialist will put you in a very aggressive position to get as tucked as possible (speaking generally but this is true for road and TT bike positions). This position will likely result in very fast times but is not meant to be ridden for long endurance style riding. If you are prone to neck pain or headaches, and your goal is to train for an Ironman, then the bike fit specialist will put you in a less tucked position and focus more on comfort that aggressive aero positioning.

Bike Positioning

Bike positioning is different than bike fit. How? A bike might be fit to you and your needs perfectly but you need to know how to hold yourself while riding! The video below explains key points on how to position your upper back, neck, and head to help with neck pain and headaches.

What Can I Do to Help With My Neck Pain and Headaches?

You need to practice riding in the position discussed above in the video. Over time, it will feel natural, you will feel stronger, and you will notice less symptoms. After bike rides, to help manage your neck pain and headaches, it is important to stretch, foam roll, use a lacrosse ball to loosen up the tight muscles. Specific neck strengthening exercises are also encouraged to help support your neck and head better while riding your bike. The last thing that will help, is gradually increase your time on the bike. Do not go from a casual rider, riding 30-60 minutes at a time, to trying to ride 3 hours with the local Saturday cycling meet up.

How Can Chiropractic Care Help with My Neck Pain and Headaches?

dTo help speed up the resolution of these symptoms, chiropractic care can help. Check out another post of ours describing chiropractic care for headaches. Treatments such as joint mobilization, myofascial release, and targeted exercises will be used to treat the symptoms. Sports chiropractors are trained to evaluate the musculoskeletal system, and use hands on treatments to reduce biomechanical dysfunction.

Adjusting the joints in the neck helps reduce stiffness in the joints and improves range of motion. Myofascial release breaks down tight tissues that compress joints and can also cause myofascial pain. Myofascial pain can also refer pain, and example is muscle tension headaches. Finally, targeted exercises will be prescribed that will help you the most. It is possible that you have tried many types of stretching but you need to focus on strengthening the muscles. Taking the guess work out is one of the benefits in seeing a sports chiropractor.

We treat many cyclists and triathletes in our clinic who experience neck pain and headaches. Peak Form Health Center is located in Mission Valley, San Diego. For scheduling, please schedule a new patient visit online at www.peakformhealthcenter.com! If you are out of the area, please email frontdesk@peakformhealthcenter.com to see if a telemedicine appointment is right for you!

Cycling Knee pain San Diego Treatment

Cycling Knee Pain Treatment

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Most cyclists at one point or another experience knee pain when riding their bike. There are many types of cycling knee pain and many different causes. In majority of cases, knee pain from cycling is due to overuse of the muscles/tendons around the knee joint. The complicating factor is the bike itself and how you are fit on that bike. A dialed in bike fit will allow your body to absorb the forces that hard cycling produces. If your knee joint, is working in a strained position, the muscles and tendons will eventually fail once a certain volume and/or intensity is reached during training. Forced time off will occur, the cyclist will train pain free until that tissue threshold is hit, and then knee pain occurs again. Frustrating! Below you will find the most common causes of knee pain in cycling.

Knee Pain Running Doctor

Anterior knee pain

  • Patellar tendonitis most common
  • Chondromalacia
  • Fat pad impingement
  • Bike fit suggestion: increase saddle height
    • Advanced with evaluation of foot: shoe insert, cleat wedges

Medial knee pain

  • Pes anserine bursitis
  • MCL/knee capsule irritation
  • Bike fit suggestion: move cleats outward
    • Advanced with evaluation of foot: shoe insert, cleat wedges

Lateral knee pain

  • Iliotibial band syndrome it band syndrome
  • Hamstring strain (biceps femoris)
  • Bike fit suggestion: lower saddle height, move clears inward (toward bike)

Posterior knee pain

  • Hamstring tendonitis
  • Hamstring train
  • Calf strain
  • Bike fit suggestion: Lower saddle height

Evaluation of Cycling Knee Pain

Evaluation begins with a thorough history, including details on your personal history of cycling, and bike fit. Our sports chiropractor will take you through various range of motion, orthopedic, functional movement, and strength/endurance testing. After the evaluation, a working diagnosis is developed and treatment begins.

Treatment for Cycling Knee Pain

Most cases of knee pain from cycling improve with a combination of manual therapies including Active Release Technique, Graston Technique, and joint mobilization. A individual exercise routine will be prescribed as well to strengthen/stretch the affected tissues to reduce pain and dysfunction quickly. Our cycling doctor will help construct a cycling training plan to get back to riding pain free; some bike fit suggestions may be necessary.

Schedule today to get your knee pain properly diagnosed at our Mission Valley, San Diego office. Both Dr. Travis Rose, DC CCSP and Dr. Kevin Rose, DC DACBSP are trained to treat cycling injuries and are both avid cyclists and triathletes themselves. Dr. Travis Rose, DC CCSP has additional training in Bike Fit analysis for health care providers.