New location

Come on over to my new site: www.endurancenerd.com


Going to be posting regularly there.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Have neck and shoulder pain on the bike?

Have neck and shoulder pain on the bike?

You're not  alone.

Roughly 40% of my clients seeking a bike fit, have moderate to severe neck, upper back, and shoulder pain when they ride.

Some feel it at the base of their skull (and this can sometimes lead to head aches), others in the neck or in the muscles connecting the neck to the shoulder.

While there are many causes, there are often a number of small changes we can make to someone's bike fit to remedy this.  Of course, there are times when all the pain cannot be eliminated, like in the case of severe arthritis and other spinal disorders, and minimizing becomes the goal.  I would like to also note that bike fit changes aren't the answer alone, which I think I would make as a blanket statement for almost all problems on the bike, so corrective exercises are a very common component of my bike fits.

One of the best examples of how something small can cause a lot of trouble is a rider's wrist position on the bike.  Specifically, I'll address the road bike set-up with drop bars.  The culprit motion is called ulnar deviation.  Here's what ulnar deviation is:

Hold out your arm in front of you with your hand positioned like you're going to shake someone's hand.  If you move the wrist only and move your pinkie-side of your hand down toward the floor.

This is a very common hand position when the hoods are not positioned properly -- one common way is when they're set very low on the curve of the bar.

See how the lines drawn through the center of the forearm and hand deviate.
This is a relatively neutral wrist position


 More groundwork:  When our hands aren't attached to anything, this is called "Open Chain Position" for the upper extremity, when they are attached to something (the bars, the ground, whatever) it's called "Closed Chain Position".  So push-up position is closed chain for the arms.

So,

When we have to put our wrists into ulnar deviation in the open chain position, it's not a huge deal.  The hand is not attached to anything and we can bend our wrist.  The problem arises when we have to go into ulnar deviation when our hands are attached to the handlebars -- closed chain.

That's because Ulnar deviation + Closed Chain Position leads to Elbow Extension (straightening).

You can do this test on yourself:  Stand about 2 feet from a soft surface that's roughly 36 inches off the ground -- a tall bed or the cushioned back of the sofa works well.  Lean forward placing your fists on it like your holding the hoods of a bike (your thumbs should be pointed up toward the ceiling) BUT keep your elbows slightly bent.

Thumbs up, elbows slightly bent (beard not required)


Now push your pinkie side of the hand down into the bed going into ulnar deviation -- your elbows want to naturally straighten a little, huh?  Move the wrists back and forth in and out of ulnar deviation -- it's really tough to be in ulnar deviation and keep your elbows bent, right?  You can force it, but it isn't a natural position, or anything you could maintain for a long time.

Wrists in ulnar deviation, makes elbows straighten


Now stay with me because we have to take this one step further.

Ulnar deviation + Closed Chain Position leads to Elbow Extension, AND

this elbow extension creates another problem --> Shoulder Elevation (the motion you do when you shrug your shoulders).

Go back to that same test with your hands on the soft surface (and take a look at the two pictures above).  When you move into wrist ulnar deviation and that straightens your elbows, then the elbow straightening pushes those shoulder up slightly.  It's subtle in the test, but more pronounced on the bike, especially as we ride and "settle in" to our riding position.  Those shoulders creep up a little more, which has the tendency to tighten the muscles around our neck and shoulders, and can lead to the neck and shoulder issues.

So this certainly isn't the only cause of neck pain, but it's a great representation of how something little can multiply into something ugly.

Thought?  Questions?

26 comments:

  1. Neck and shoulder pain are not easy to avoid when cycling. It’s important that you follow the proper ways of positioning of the body and handling the bike to avoid or at least reduce the pain. But if you want to totally get rid of neck and shoulder pain faster, going to a chiropractor after biking would help a lot. Regular chiropractic treatments are advisable for cyclists because these can help a lot in easing away muscle pain.

    *Rhonda Munoz

    ReplyDelete
  2. For cyclists, having neck and shoulder pain may seem normal. As the pain continues to increase, they tend to seek help from massage therapists or doctors. What they don’t know is that chiropractic care can relieve their pain while boosting their cycling performance. Also, it can help prevent the cyclist from getting injuries.

    >Willow Laflamme

    ReplyDelete
  3. Included in our physical therapy programs is a comprehensive and educational module about physical problems, a specially customized exercise program to address your needs. This set of exercises pay special attention to increasing energy and enhancing your mobility. perimeter spine and rehabilitation center

    ReplyDelete
  4. You can definitely get neck and shoulder pain on the bike, most especially if you don’t follow the proper position of bicycling. It could turn to worst if you keep ignoring the pain. Don’t let this happen. Go to your trusted orthopedic specialist for checkup. And learn the proper position of bicycling to avoid getting the same pain again. @ Fort Lauderdale Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

    ReplyDelete
  5. Really nice and informative side.People may come in with shoulder pain when they really have a neck problem,” says Eric Richet, MD, a shoulder specialist in Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Conversely, neck pain can mask a shoulder problem.

    ReplyDelete
  6. An exploratory analysis revealed the superiority of the Alexander Technique over guided imagery. ENECK

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Most of the neck pain happens due to wrong choice of pillows. You are a great blogger, who are helping others in choosing right pillow just like a pain management doctor. I think everyone must visit web health network before buying a neck pain pillow.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi guys,
    Thank you so much for this wonderful article! Here we all can learn a lot of useful things and this is not only my opinion! Even BLNCK corp. and http://www.parkhillchiro.com/ confirmed it!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is great. I read this post and enjoyed a lot. Its too much informative and I want to keep it bookmark for future use. Thanks.
    Shoulder Pain Treatment

    ReplyDelete
  11. I want to have some more related blogs like that,.
    Teaser Dayna Deters Rollga

    ReplyDelete
  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

  13. Thank You for Wonderful information sharing, Massage Therapy this article about Massage Therapy.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for sharing this quality information with us. I really enjoyed reading. Will surely going to share this URL with my friends.
    best pillow for neck pain

    ReplyDelete
  15. Have you ever heard of Spondylosis? I’d really like to see some information posted about that. I’d also like to be able find information on lumbar radiculopathy, so if anyone knows where to direct me for pain related to the face joint or degenerative disc disease, let me know!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I read your post and i really like it, Thanks for sharing useful information.
    neck pain treatment cork
    physical therapy specialist cork

    ReplyDelete
  17. Neck pain may be common, but it?s not normal. You can use turmeric to treat neck pain because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Mix one teaspoon of turmeric powder in a glass of milk and heat it over low heat for five minutes.Here is a natural, drug-free solution that routinely produces relief of stiff necks and other chronic neck pain. Visit also http://www.jointpainclinic.com/body-aches-pains-natural-relief-for-muscle-joint-pains.html

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hy,
    Thanks for posting it. I like your Post and it's very informative.
    NY Pilates Exercises

    ReplyDelete
  19. Are you looking for Well-Qualified Dentists in Dubai for dental treatments? Then please connect with us at Montreal International Clinic. Here we will serve you with the best dental care procedure using which you will get life long relief from pain and discomfort of the teeth. We provide treatments like veneers, dental implants, braces, Hollywood smile, teeth whitening, and the list goes on. To know more about us and dental care treatments, you can reach us out at https://montrealintclinic.com.

    Veneers Dubai | Dental Implants Dubai | Hollywood Smile In Dubai | Liposution Dubai | Breast Implants Dubai | Back Pain Dubai | Rhinoplasty Dubai | Hair Transplant Dubai | Fractional Laser Dubai

    ReplyDelete
  20. Wow, excellent post. I'd like to draft like this too - taking time and real hard work to make a great article. This post has encouraged me to write some posts that I am going to write soon. best brake pads for road bike

    ReplyDelete
  21. You have a good point here!I totally agree with what you have said!!Thanks for sharing your views...hope more people will read this article!!! premier pain management

    ReplyDelete
  22. It provide such a nice detail about neck problem during drive. You can read my blog Neurology Treatment in Punjab and can get more information about neck and brain problem.

    ReplyDelete