3 Common Cycling Injuries (And How Chiropractic Care Can Help!)

Warm weather is right around the corner in many parts of the country. For this reason, weekend warriors and regular exercisers alike will be getting outside for their favorite activities. One extremely popular outdoor activity for the warm weather months is cycling. 

Cycling is a great form of exercise. Hopping on a bike allows kids, professional athletes, and everyone in between to get a fun, high-energy workout. Unfortunately, like every form of exercise, cycling poses a risk of injury to those who participate in the activity. 

If and when you do suffer a cycling injury, never fear! Your chiropractor will assess the damage and figure out a treatment plan to get you back on the road as quickly as possible. 

Injury #1: Falls and Crashes

Especially for those who take their bikes out on the road, alongside cars, cycling poses a huge risk of crashing. Many areas offer the possibility for walkers, bikers, and drivers to share the road. Sadly, for a variety of reasons, bikers will crash into cars, stationary objects, or other people. 

Additionally, bikers, no matter how experienced, can suffer fall injuries. Biking takes a high level of balance and stability. If a cyclist is riding on a new route, using a new bike, or is uncomfortable for any other reason, they are at high risk for falling. 

Falls and crashes can both lead to devastating injuries. For instance, these traumatic incidents may cause a concussion, traumatic brain injury, broken bone, or another problem. These problems may take months or years to heal. In some cases, individuals may never fully recover from a serious concussion or brain injury.

Injury #2: Muscle Strains

Cycling, like any form of exercise, presents a risk for muscle strains and ligament sprains. Even though cycling is not an impact sport, it still requires high levels of muscle strength and endurance. 

When the muscles are pushed to their limit, and not provided with adequate time to recover, a cyclist may experience a muscle strain. Depending on the extent of the strain, the athlete may recover within a few days, or it may take a few weeks or months for them to return to their full cycling ability.

For example, you may experience knee pain after cycling. This is often due to muscle strains surrounding the knee joint.

Luckily, most muscle strains aren’t considered serious injuries. If you take enough time to recover, eat a good nutritious diet, and listen to your body, you’ll be back on the road in no time at all.

Injury #3: Back Pain

Back pain can affect any athlete or exerciser. However, back pain is very common in cyclists. This condition is incredibly debilitating, as back pain limits a cyclist’s ability to sit on the bike, lean forward, or even pedal comfortably.

Back pain occurs for many reasons, some of which may not even be related to the sport itself. For instance, back pain can occur from sitting with bad posture for long periods, from lifting too heavy of a weight, or from simply reaching too far.

How Chiropractors Can Help with Cycling Injuries

Chiropractic care is based on the nature of the central nervous system. Essentially, chiropractors work to realign the spine whenever it has fallen out of alignment. This allows the nerves to communicate with various parts of the body, sending signals to damaged tissues and encouraging blood flow to these areas. This, in turn, allows for faster, more complete healing.

Calling all cyclists! Come see your Noblesville chiropractor at Anchor Health Chiropractic today. We will examine your spine and make sure that you are at low risk for injury while also addressing any current injuries you may have. Book your appointment now!