Ask the osteo
Osteopath James Gill on form, massage & stretching
My wrists and hands hurt while cycling – can I change my riding form to prevent this?
The trick to cycling-related hand and wrist pain is to adjust your form to ensure that your wrists are not being overstrained while you’re cycling. Keep your wrists straight, not flexed and bend your elbows to absorb some of the vibrations from the bike. Make sure you alter your grip position frequently while riding to adapt to the gradient of the road and your cycling pace. This will prevent the tension build-up that is causing your hand and wrist pain.
Hand and wrist pain can be caused by uneven weight distribution while cycling, often due to the saddle of your bike being either too high or tilted downwards. Try adjusting your seat for a better fit, altering the position of your handlebars or changing your grips to see if this helps with the pain.
Would a sports massage help ease the tightness in my back after long rides?
Yes, massage therapy is a great way to relieve muscle tension and provide pain relief. Lower back pain is often the result of sustained posture with decreased flexibility in the hips, which is why the majority of cyclists experience back pain at some point. As the low back is relatively fixed when sitting on the saddle, in order to encourage efficient power transfer through the hip, this can lead to a strain in the lower back muscles.
Muscle tension can spread through the body if left untreated, which is why I would recommend a sports massage for any cyclists struggling with their lower back. Massage therapy can loosen the muscles and release tension that has built up. It will also increase muscular blood flow, allowing nutrients to pass through to them more easily. Through this process, muscle soreness can be reduced.
Should I have a sports massage before or after a cycling event?
Either or both! A sports massage can be beneficial before an event or race for increasing muscle flexibility and preventing cramp while cycling. I would recommend booking your massage any day the week before your event, but ideally as close to the date as possible for maximum effect. After an event or a very challenging ride, a sports massage is great for releasing muscle tightness by encouraging blood flow and restoring your movement range, aiding in your recovery. Again, try to book your appointment as close to the date of the event as possible, to prevent muscle tightness before it fully sets in. Remember to communicate with your massage therapist during your appointment with any specific problem areas you might have so they can target these during the session.
Should I stretch before or after cycling to prevent injury?
You might have heard that you shouldn’t stretch before a ride because the muscles are cold, but personally I think that any kind of warm-up before cycling is beneficial, whether that’s dynamically warming up or stretching.
Stretching after your ride is essential. Cycling puts quite a lot of strain on your muscles, causing them to tighten up and lose flexibility, which can be helped by stretching. After a ride, I would recommend doing a series of quad stretches, hamstring stretches and glute stretches to ease the muscles in your legs and lower back. Tight hamstrings can cause lower back and hip pain, and glute stretching can help prevent piriformis syndrome. Hold each stretch for at least 20 seconds and gradually increase this time to improve flexibility.
I’m still getting back pain after having my bike-fit adjusted – would I benefit from seeing an osteopath?
Lower back pain is often caused by a seat that’s too low or tipped upwards. However, if you have adjusted the seat and handlebars of your bike and are still suffering from lower back pain, it’s a good idea to book an appointment with an osteopath. Lower back pain is common among cyclists, and the most important thing is learning to manage it. Most cyclists can manage lower back pain with regular stretching and anti-inflammatory medication but if your pain is still persistent, an osteopath can help. As well as relieving the pain through manual techniques such as massage, an osteopath may be able to provide tailored exercises to prevent re-occurrence of your pain and encourage better movement in your lower back and hips. He or she might also recommend some lower back and hip stretches to relieve tension in the muscles.
THANKS TO
James Gill, osteopath and director of Bodytonic Clinic: bodytonicclinic.co.uk