Cyclist Neck syndrome
Human were not made to ride bicycles; for starters, we were designed to walk.
Cycling not only disrupts the weight distribution of your spine and muscle, but it also force your back and neck to bend in an unnatural way.
The neck must compensate in particular so that you can see where you’re going. It’s no surprise that neck muscle are fatigued and irritated in a bad riding position; it’s like standing and look up into sky for hours !
It’s not a race, it’s a journey ! Become a better cyclist with us !
Neck and back pain are frequently present among cyclists, with up to 60% of them experiencing it. Poor cycling posture or a bad bike fit are the most common causes of neck pain. This entails:
- Helmet that hasn’t been properly adjusted: If the rider’s helmet is too low in the front, the rider must extend head upward to hold the helmet from blocking the front view.
- Eyeglasses that don’t fit right: as eyeglasses slipping down the nose, causing rider to extend the head upward
- low handlebars: forced to reach further when handlebars are too low. This puts excessive pressure on shoulders and causes the neck to extend more.
- slanted saddle: putting additional weight on the upper limbs
- fully extended elbow: The impact is not lightened up to the neck region
- stiff thoracic spine: inducing hyperextension of the cervical spine
When neck is constantly extended, the deep neck extensors could get fatigued and unable to sustain the weight of the head during long cycle hours.
“Shermer’s neck”
Shermer’s neck is a disorder that predominantly affects ultra-endurance cyclists. It was first recognized in 1983. It was named after Michael Shermer, a competitor of a 3,000-mile nonstop bike race from The Race Across America. Shermer’s neck muscles had become so fatigue that they had simply given up. He was unable to hold his head up about 2,000 miles into the race, and he was forced to hold his chin up with his palm to keep going. His team had to build a brace out of bungee cords to keep his head in place where he could see and finish the race.
Even though Shermer’s Neck is not prevalent among average cyclists, It’s still common in ultra-distance bicycle races. Untrained cyclists or beginners who plan to compete in events longer than 300 KM should be aware of the risk of suffering Shermer’s neck. Untrained people are more likely to develop symptoms, hence preventative measures should be done.
If you’ve already had a bike fit and are still experiencing neck discomfort and pain when riding, the issue could be weak neck muscles, alignment of neck, pinched nerve or stiff joints, Maintaining the load of your head for a long time on the bike takes a lot of strength, and your shoulders typically try to compensate as you tired.
Contact us to improve your neck and shoulders for your ride journey !
www.physioclinic.sg | Call: 62244178 | WhatsApp or SMS: 91510068 | Email: info@physioclinic.sg
How Flexible is Hyperflexible?
Many of us may consider ourselves to be flexible. But how do we differentiate between flexibility and joint hypermobility? Joint hypermobility can be determined by the Beighton Score, a simple joint flexibility score that quantifies your joint laxity.
The Beighton score is a popular screening technique for hypermobility. Component of Beighton score:
Using the Beighton Score, one point is assigned for the ability to accomplish each of the following movements:
- Bending your small finger back further than 90 degrees (1 point each side)
- Bending your elbow beyond a straight line (1 point each side)
- Bending your knee beyond a straight line (1 point each side)
- Putting your palms flat on the floor without bending your knees
- Bending your thumb back to touch the front of your forearm (1 point each side)
Benign Hypermobility Syndrome is diagnosed when your Beighton score is equal to or greater than 5.
Are flexible people prone to injuries?
Hypermobile joints are unstable in nature due to their increased range of movement and subsequently reduced core stability. When impact occurs, they are not able to direct the force through the joint in a stable manner.
In contact sports this causes joints to be in unstable positions due to their hypermobile nature, and when exposed to physical contact leads to injury. (Pacey V, Tofts L, Wesley A, Collins F, Singh-Grewal D, 2015)
What you should do?
However, hypermobility doesn’t have to be a problem if you train the appropriate muscles; progress your strength and movement to make sure you have the control to match your extra flexibility. Strengthen throughout each joint range of motion in order to improve the stability of the joint externally and muscles/tendon which stabilize the joint. This will help reduce the risk of joint and ligament injuries.
If your hypermobile joints are causing you trouble or you are worried about trying new or intense exercise, book an appointment with us today by 👨💼📊📈📁calling 6224 4178 or 9639 0509, or emailing info@physioclinic.sg
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) seems to be all the latest craze, owing to how efficient it is in burning fat. Who wouldn’t prefer a 20-minute workout over an hour at the gym, especially if it meant losing weight faster? However, myths and misconceptions have evolved as a result of the popularity of HIIT. The following are some of the most prevalent HIIT misconceptions and mistakes, as well as the reality behind them:
- Skipping your warm-ups and cool-downs.
HIIT involves high-intensity aerobic activities such as leaping, which can be stressful on the joints. Stretching prepares your body ready for high-intensity workouts. It may help with muscular soreness and recovery after a workout. As a result, it’s critical to remember to stretch in order to avoid injury.
2. Longer ≠better
HIIT is all about pushing yourself to your limits in short bursts of time. You only have a short window of time to do so before exhaustion sets in. You can’t do HIIT training for hours on end, just like you can’t keep a sprint for many kilometers. If you try to do HIIT for an hour, you will almost certainly take it easy at times, defeating the objective.
3. Your forms are wrong
Many individuals mistakenly believe that HIIT entails performing the most difficult variety of an exercise possible, rather than opting for good form and increased intensity, or selecting the most effective version of a movement. Bad form can place tremendous burden on joints, work the wrong muscle groups, and put you at risk for injury.
4. Resting too short/ too long.
It’s critical to stick to a strict schedule with short breaks in between exercise to get your heart rate down. You’d allow yourself plenty of rest time, generally around a 2:1 or 3:1 rest-to-work ratio. If you were running 20-second sprints, you would take a 40-second to one-minute break before starting the following interval.
5. You are not working out hard enough !
Exercising at the proper intensity will keep you from working out too hard or too little, and help ensure you meet your goals. The target heart rate in HIIT workout would be short work intervals (70% to 90% max heart rate) alternate with rest periods (60% to 65% percent max heart rate). You can estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. Another simpler method to keep track of your workout intensity is to use the talk test. You won’t need any special gear like a heart rate monitor.
6. You are not ready for HIIT, yet!
If you’re a beginner and not used to high-intensity workouts, start with general exercise and work your way up to HIIT. It’s preferable to ease into the HIIT workout gradually to minimize the risk of injury and muscle aches. When you’ve completed 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise, it’s time to boost the game and HIIT it ! For individuals with physical limitations or joint issues, HIIT workouts may be done using resistance bands, walking, or swimming for individuals with physical limitations or joint issues, as long as it raises your heart rate and then recover before continuing.
7. You are doing too much HIIT.
Although consistency is important, HIIT exercises should only be done three to five times each week. Rest is necessary for your body to heal. Muscles grow by repairing themselves. Pay attention to your body and avoid overdoing it.
8. Do not replace HIIT for regular cardio
You’d be missing out on cardiovascular endurance if you solely did HIIT workouts. Low-intensity steady-state cardio exercises are great for warming up and cooling down, as well as giving your muscles a break on recovery days.
9. Wearing improper shoe wear for HIIT.
HIIT usually involves a lot of jumping, which necessitates the use of supported shoes to support your ankle. You will be prone to injuries if you train in shoes that lack of stability and comfort.
10. Don’t be shy about asking for help !
If you’re in pain or have an injury, seek expert care right away! Don’t wait any longer, as this could cause more harm than benefit.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Website: www.physioclinic.sg | Call: 62244178 | WhatsApp or SMS: 91510068 | Email: info@physioclinic.sg