As I can see more and more riders on our roads, I thought about giving an inside guide about some common injuries and niggles that you could encounter while road cycling, and most importantly how to prevent them.
Many amateur cyclists spend more time perfecting and tuning their bike than looking and listening to their bodies.
I would like to start by a quick lesson in the biomechanics of cycling:
Cycling is unique due to the combination of long postural inertia of the lower body together with excessive repetitious load on the lower limbs. (Clinical Sports medicine – Brukner and Khan)
The most common injuries that a cyclist could encounter:
- Iliotibial band Syndrome (Runners knee)
- Achilles Tendinitis/Tendinopathy
- Calves, Hamstrings, quadriceps strains
- Hip flexors, groin, lower back pain
- Sciatica
- Upper body tightness, shoulders and neck.
Many of those conditions can be avoid by ensuring a good technic, a good bike setup and regular treatment with a professional health care therapist. (Myotherapist, Remedial massage therapist, Physiotherapist and Podiatrist)
Professional cyclists around the world rely on massage as an important part of their training routine.
The sports massage technique will improve your recovery, restore or improve the range of motion of injured and over work muscles.
Routine of a pro cyclists:
Pre-race: Before the race the treatment should aid with increasing your circulation and flexibility and leave your muscles resilient and ready to go.
Post-race: After a hard race a soft tissue treatment will increase your circulation to speed the removal of fatigue toxins, relieve your muscle spasms and prevent soreness.
Fine-tuning: For regular fine-tuning you need treatments that will search out the areas of biomechanical stress in your muscles and relieve them, before they become problems, enabling you to train harder and more consistently.
Injury Rehabilitation: For injury rehabilitation, treatment will focus on increased healing, range of motion and to reduce scar tissue, allowing the muscle to expand/contract normally.
We are not all competitive racers, so the most important things is to have fun while riding and stay injury free.
If you would like to implement sports massage in your training regimen or if you would like help with your recovery after your ride book in with our Myotherapists.
Myotherapy treatment is available in Torquay – Monday to Saturday, including after work hours appointment times.
You can give us a call 5251-5724, or book online www.torquaysmc.com.au