Summer is in full swing, and that means many Minnesotans are ditching their cars and using their bicycles for commuting and exercise. And whether you’re an avid cyclist or just a seasonal rider, injuries and soreness can become common after a long ride. In today’s blog, we explain how we’ve helped a number of cyclists recover from injury and become a more efficient cyclist, and why you should consider syncing up with a physical therapist if you’re noticing some new pains after your most recent ride.
How PT Can Help Cyclists
One of the most obvious ways in which we help cyclists and athletes alike is by helping them overcome injuries. Whether that’s in the form of a minor repetitive stress injury or a major injury after a fall off your bike, we can help you recover from whatever ails you. With the help of a thorough evaluation and individualized assessment, we can help to develop a strengthening program tailored to your specific needs.
This is especially helpful when the underlying cause of the injury is not so obvious. For example, one of the most common complaints we hear from cyclists is that they are feeling discomfort or pain in the back of their knee during or after a ride. Not surprisingly, they assume that the problem is housed in their knee, and they take steps to protect and strengthen the knee. However, due to the mechanics involved in cycling, oftentimes this back of knee pain is actually caused by an issue with your hamstring being too tight or too underdeveloped compared to your quadriceps. So if your treatment is focused on the knee when it should be geared at your hamstrings, you’re going to struggle to find relief.
Bodily Mechanics
At OrthoRehab Specialists, we understand all the mechanics that go into casual or competitive cycling. We also understand how different muscle groups and tissues are stressed and work with one another to perform physical tasks. We have diagnostic tests and biomechanical feedback devices that can help spot inefficiencies or areas of your body that are being overburdened by your cycling regimen. Based on this information, we can develop a strength training program to help target the specific muscle groups that you rely on the most.
Our physical therapy team can also be the perfect compliment for anyone trying to go new distances this year or prepare for a bike race or triathlon. It’s important that you are careful about how you work to increase your distance or speed, because doing so too quickly can be a recipe for injury. By connecting with a physical therapist, we can help you safely gear up for that new personal best or that upcoming race.
Posture and Positioning
And finally, because many of our physical therapists are cyclists themselves, we can also take a look at your posture and positioning on your bike. We can look at your form and help ensure your alignment is helping to fuel your physical abilities instead of working against them. We can also give you the tools to perform your own self-assessments of your form so that you can make corrections when you’re out on a ride.
So if you’re a cyclist and you’re trying to overcome an injury, avoid an injury or just set a new personal best, consider syncing up with the team at OrthoRehab Specialists. We can help make your next ride the best yet. For more information, contact our clinic today at (612) 339-2041.