Cycling Training Articles - Does A Chiropractor Offer Anything To Cyclists?

Does A Chiropractor Offer Anything To Cyclists?

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By Ron Fritzke, D.C.

If you've been on enough long rides, I'll bet you've felt that burning in your shoulders, that tightness in your neck, or even the numbness that goes down into your arms, hands, and fingers. Neck and upper back problems in cyclists have their roots in several factors which we'll discuss throughout this article. I'll suggest some solutions too, so hang in there.

You’ve noticed that over time it’s getting harder and harder to stand up straight immediately after long training rides. Your low back gets stiff and sore, making it difficult to do the bike rides you either choose to do for enjoyment, or know you must do to accomplish your racing goals.

You’d just ignore the low back pain as an inconvenience, but it’s becoming more frequent. When it hits, it now hits with more of a wallop. Sometimes it even seizes up.

Who should you see about the problem? Would a chiropractor be appropriate, and if so, what should you look for in a chiropractor?

Within the last few years, I've gotten a fresh perspective on what my experience as a chiropractor can offer the cyclist.

Several training seasons filled with innumerable discussions with my coach, Bruce Hendler, about body biomechanics as it relates to cycling, have opened my eyes to the value of the information I've accumulated over the last 24 years in practice.

I tend to take what I already know for granted. It's taken getting away from my office to appreciate that my chiropractic perspective on biomechanical issues is unique and valuable if it's integrated into a larger view of the over-all athletic performance picture.

This role of contributing to athletic performance was re-iterated when I became a part of the athletic training staff at the College of the Siskiyous. Mike, the head athletic trainer, is extremely proficient in caring for athletic injuries.

My initial reaction to joining the team at the college was, "What do I have to contribute?"

To summarize Mike's thoughts on the subject, my chiropractic contribution is ‘Grade five mobilization’. Another term for it is joint manipulation.

We chiropractors call it an adjustment. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be ‘adjusted’ than ‘manipulated’, but that’s just an aside.

What we chiropractors do so well (because most of us are doing it all day long) is to take a joint to its end range of motion and to then apply a quick movement. The purpose is to increase the available range on motion in that joint if the joint is restricted, and to break any adhesions that are disruptive to joint movement.

What Should You Expect From A Chiropractor?

While a chiropractor has a unique set of skills to offer you as a cyclist, your chiropractor shouldn't have tunnel vision with regard to your cycling injuries. After all, your body is composed of the neuromusculoskeletal system. That means that all aspects need to be addressed; the nerves, the muscles, and the joints.

Your sports-oriented chiropractor should recognize the complexity of your body and be willing to consider the muscular aspect of your injury as well as the joint and nerve portion.

If your chiropractor isn't proficient in treating and advising you on the muscle part of your problem, he or she should augment your chiropractic treatment with assistance from someone who does (such as a sports trainer or physical therapist).

Let’s take your case of low back pain as an example.

If it’s determined that the pain you’re experiencing is due to a rotation in your hips, causing pain in your sacroiliac joints, there may be multiple issues to be considered. It’s quite likely that a chiropractic adjustment of your sacroiliac joints will be very helpful, but what about tightness or weakness in the muscles effecting the joints?

Appropriate stretching and strengthening exercises will most likely need to be performed on a regular basis. The stretching exercises serve to lengthen the muscles which span the sacroiliac joints so that the joints don’t just ‘seize up’ again. The strengthening exercises add necessary stability to the joint.

This leads me to another aspect of the recovery scene.

You!

Just yesterday, another chiropractor who isn’t actively practicing any longer came into my office. The issue of patient education came up. I said something about talking to my patients until I’m blue in the face about their role in recovery, but not seeing them step up to the plate to do their part with activities at home.

His response was that his frustration with the lack of patient participation in their recovery (i.e., home stretches and strengthening exercises) was one of the main reasons he’s glad he’s no longer practicing.

Don’t forget that it takes two to tango, and if you hope to recover you’d better get your dancing shoes on.

So, like a lot of issues in life, it's all about balance. You'll benefit the most from incorporating the services of a chiropractor who doesn't think that everything is solved through chiropractic manipulations, but recognizes the interaction of the muscles, nerves, and joints.

On the other hand, don’t discount the benefit of the chiropractic adjustment. A skilled chiropractor has joint manipulation skills that are unique to our profession, and from which you would most likely benefit.

About Ron

After 22 years in a Mount Shasta private practice, Ron Fritzke, D.C. is pleased to be the chiropractor for the sports medicine team at the College of the Siskiyous. As a former 2:17 marathoner, and current bike racer Ron Fritzke writes about cycling issues like discount cycling shoes, the cycle trainer, biking jerseys, and bicycle clothes in general, on his website, www.cycling-review.com.

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