Cycling can be a pain in the neck
Ibet 95% of readers suffer or have suffered from neck pain, headaches, migraines and have “Forward Head Posture” (FHP). Cycling and daily life can put an incredible strain on the neck muscles which will also affect muscles all the way down the back.
As we ride our bikes and use our smartphones, laptops and computers, we’re unconsciously leaning our heads forward; even watching the television or sitting in the car can cause FHP. The average head weighs 3.5-4kg and every 2cm that the head is tilted forward adds another 3-4kg to the weight that your head is holding. If your head is leaning forward by 6cm that’s a massive 9-12kg that your neck muscles must hold. Try hanging 12kg around your neck and see how it feels! This results in your neck, head and shoulder muscles constantly pulling up, which can cause cramps and headaches.
The muscles are one long interconnected chain from the top of your head to your toes. As ridiculous as it sounds a tight neck muscle could be causing a tight hamstring. More seriously the extra tension in the muscles down the back can put so much pressure on the spine that it can misalign the spine and down further to the pelvis, pulling it to one side or causing a forward or backwards tilt of the pelvis. A misaligned pelvis will completely change how you sit on the saddle and how your biomechanics work, reducing hamstring length and power output. In daily life a misaligned spine or pelvis will put an incredible stress on your lower back, causing chronic low back pain.
If you are a cyclist the first step is to ensure that you have a proper bike fit. There are professional cyclists who have worn out their neck joints because they have spent so many years cycling in a poor position. With a good bike fit your skeleton supports your body and not the muscles; make sure that you can see the road ahead without having to raise or tilt your head and that there is no tension in your neck or shoulders. Most cyclists have their bars too low and their arms too stretched out; try raising your bars and reducing your handlebar stem length. Your arms should be loose with no tension in the arms at all.
Get your eyes tested and wear your glasses if you need them. Ask your optician for computer specific glasses, as glasses for reading or long distance may be the incorrect focus for your computer.
Don’t wear vary-focal glasses as you have to tilt your head to read the computer screen.
Ensure your eyes are level with the top one third of the computer screen.
Forearms should be approximately level with floor. Feet should be flat on the floor. Hold your smartphone in front of you so you don’t have to tilt your head to use it.
3 SIMPLE NECK STRETCHES
Neck Side bend
Sitting in a chair, sit up straight and bring the head into a neutral position so it isn’t leaning forward. Put your right hand on the top left of your head and gently pull your neck towards the right shoulder until you feel your neck muscles tighten. Keep your shoulders level during this stretch, hold for 15 seconds and repeat 10 times, repeat for the left side. While sitting, sit up straight and bring your head into the neutral position so it isn’t leaning forward, then gently turn the head to the right so your nose is over the right shoulder and hold for 10 seconds, return to neutral and repeat on the left side. Repeat five times in each direction, make sure it is your neck that is twisting. While sitting, sit up straight and bring your head into the neutral position so it isn’t leaning forward. Clasp both hands behind the head and gently pull the head down, bringing your chin towards your chest. Stop when you feel a stretch in the back of your neck, return to neutral and repeat five times.