As summer comes into full swing in Chicago, many Chicagoans will begin training for a duathlon, triathlon, or road race in early spring to take place later in the summer.  As they begin to take their road bike out of the garage/storage space, you need to ensure you work your mileage in slowly.  Prior to taking your bike out, you need to ensure it is properly fitted (it may have changed slightly from riding the previous year and one may need to make adjustments in terms of purchasing a new seat, foot clips, wheels, or chains) to ensure optimal riding.

Also, you need to avoid riding for long distances for the first few weeks to avoid injury by building both your pace and speed.  More often, injuries occur in the early stages of training because of the high demand placed on your muscles and joints of your lower back, hips, and knees.  If injury is to occur, this article will address how to manage these injuries to avoid time missed riding.

If and when injury occurs, more common cycling injuries that could arise include, but are not limited to: lower back pain, hip pain, groin and/or hamstring pain, and knee pain.  Because of the repetitive strokes during a riding session, it is unlikely that one will stave off an injury during a cycling season.  These injuries can limit your power, speed, and time when training and racing.  It is important to seek out a health care professional with experience treating cyclists.

Active Release Technique (ART) providers generally maintain the most experience in working with cyclists because of ART’s long-standing relationship over many years with the Ironman organization.  Many, but not all, ART providers are chiropractors, so it makes it a viable option when considering treatment options to work with an ART chiropractor, as he/she will have the skill set and tools to keep you from riding due to injury.

ART chiropractors will evaluate the mechanics of how you ride and how it caused your injury (injuries) that you presented with.  ART will eliminate the scar tissue formed from repetitive movement of cycling, in the direct and indirect soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments) related to the location of your injury.  Along with ART, home-care corrective exercises should be integrated to ensure that you stay pain free and to prevent recurring and/or new injuries.  Utilizing this approach, ART chiropractors will incorporate these measures to optimize the cycling mechanics so one can improve their speed, and generate more power per stroke when riding.  These changes may not occur over a few days, but the sooner these elements are effectively changed with the patient, the more advantageous riding will become.

Brian Marion, DC, CCSP, ART, CKTP

Lincoln Park Chiropractic 2202 N. Lincoln Ave Chicago IL 60614

(773) 248-2790 www.lincolnparkchiropractic.com