The following blog is provided in good faith and reflects Tate’s personal experiences. These may or may not reflect your own and so you should consult your general practitioner or physical therapist for professional recommendations suited to your circumstances.
Cycling is known as a low injury sport. In fact, many athletes turn to cycling as part of their rehabilitation process for their chosen sport. Relative to contact sports such as rugby, and impact sports such as running, this is often the case, however if treated without due precaution, cycling can equally leave you sidelined.
Cycling injuries are often through overuse exacerbated by an incorrect technique or bike fit, or a traumatic impact injury due to a crash. Broken collarbones, knee pain, neck pain, lower back pain, wrist pain are all common complaints. In a time where most enthusiasts are out clocking up the base miles in readiness for the season ahead, I find myself nursing a knee injury which has been developing since September.
If you are thinking of changing your training program this summer, I suggest you consider the risks carefully, and if you do, change it slowly. I developed chronic patellar tendonitis on an overseas trip through changing too much too quickly. Generally, an overuse injury will not be due to one factor, but will be an amalgamation of a number of factors which when combined put the body under more stress than it can repair. For me, it was in the following ways:
- Saddle too low due to travelling with an unmarked seatpost;
- Took up skipping for added cardio work;
- Started doing high intensity one legged deep squats for strength;
- Went slack on the stretching and pre ride warm-up and post ride cool-down.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and anyone can clearly see that the above is asking for trouble, just dont ask why I couldn’t see it!
So after a number of physio sessions which weren’t improving the situation as quickly as I hoped, I feared that there might be meniscus or joint damage so I went for a second opinion at an orthopaedic specialist. Thankfully, it was confirmed I had chronic patellar tendonitis, which I would take any day of the week over a meniscus tear requiring invasive surgery.
Tendonitis may be treated through physical therapy sessions, injections or surgery. If left untreated, acute tendonitis can develop into chronic. I am trying every physical therapy exercices ever recommended before hitting the needle. These are:
- Deep transverse friction massage of the tendon;
- Eccentric decline squats (shallow!);
- Cryotherapy (ice);
- Stretching;
- Low intensity cycling.
Whilst many have success with physical therapy and I am confident of making a full recovery, the outlook ahead for those that do not are cortisone injections, autologous blood injections or stem cells. Treatments should always include providing the body with adequate building blocks. In the case of tendon injuries, protein, fish oil, glucosamine and silica are all believed to support the body’s natural repair mechanisms.
Before getting back out on the bike, ensure your bike is tailored to fit you. Blair at The Body Mechanic or Kane at Jet Cycles (Specialized Body Geometry) will give you confidence that your fit is correct. Getting a bike fit before you injure yourself is a much cheaper alternative than specialist treatment sessions, but also worth every cent in peace of mind.
The information above may or may not be the best approach for you. I have done plenty wrong to be in the position I am currently in, so please seek professional opinion before embarking on your own treatment.
Resources which have assisted me thus far:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2971642/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2971642/table/T2/
http://www.drmarberry.com/docs/pt/Patellar_Tendinitis_Rehab.pdf