London Dynamo Cycling Championships 2011 helmet cam!
Chiropractic and Cycling
Back pain, neck pain and knee pain are common place in cycling, read on to find where in your body physical restrictions and areas of weakness can promote this pain. Cycling involves long hours in the saddle in anatomically unnatural positions – add to this the constant vibration and it’s a recipe for back pain and premature wear and tear on the joints. The team at Putney Chiropractic understand the demands cycling puts on your body.
Test yourself
Below are listed some simple tests you can do at home to assess your flexibility and strength – and it will reveal what you need to do to make cycling more comfortable.
- Toe touch – commonly very tight in the cyclist. Two main causes are tight hamstring muscles at the back of the thighs or low back problem/inflexibility. Solution, hamstring – active stretches, low back – stretching active and passive and get checked by your chiropractor.
- The plank (normal and side plank) – weak core in the novice cyclist means you place excessive pressure on your wrists and hence riding with shoulders around your ears resulting in neck and arm pain. Solution – the plank and side plank daily, stretch neck muscles to release build up of tension and get to your chiropractor to unlock blockages.
- One legged squat on wobble board with swiss ball on back against wall, eyes closed – this will tell you which one of your legs is under-performing. This is quite an advanced test and the solution, if you find an imbalance, involves specific neurological testing at the cycle friendly chiropractor who can detect the exact neural pathways that have been blocked and then resurrect the problem with appropriate treatment.
Putney Chiropractic provides the tools to enable your body to be more flexible, have less muscle tension and clears neural pathways to ensure maximum power while cycling. Using biomechanical, postural, neurological and muscle function assessments together with X-ray analysis of leg length differences we at Putney Chiropractic can help you be strong, powerful and comfortable on your bike. It is a great idea to get yourself fitted to your bike correctly so your body can work more efficiently. It also makes sense to get your spine adjusted to correct some of the imbalances that are commonly created by hours in the saddle.
Lance Armstrong’s chiropractor – Dr Jeff Spencer
“My job with Lance and the team is to optimize the neuromusculo-skeletal component of their training and, in the event of a crash, minimize down time and get them back in the race as quickly as possible.”
If you judged the most important man on the Postal team by the foot traffic in and out of his door, then it was Jeff.
Without him, we knew we’d never make it to Paris – Lance Armstrong about chiro Jeff Spencer
Richard Simmonds- Cycle coach and national level time trialist
I came to see Craig not because I had a problem to address, but because I wanted to improve my performance on the bike. Craig started work on straightening me out and within a few months was able to demonstrate noticeable improvements in how my muscles were working. In short he made me able to push harder on the pedals and i’ve no doubt he’s made me faster (for far less money) than that new wheel I was looking at!
Richard Mason- Elite level cyclist – Team Fit-For
One significant, and quite unexpected, benefit of the Chiropractic treatment I’ve received from Putney Chiropractic is the near complete elimination of cramp from my racing. Particularly if the event has been tough, in the past I’d really struggle to get through the final hour of Elite races cramp free.. However, this has all changed over the last 3 months. While my nutrition, on and off the bike, remains the same, I’m able to push hard through the final hour. Moreover, in the last 3 months, I’ve stepped my racing up to Premier Calendar level, which are much longer and at significantly higher intensity, and still remain cramp free!
Mark Field - Cyclist – Full story with before and after pictures
A bike is only as good as its engine. The investment in my health and well-being has generated benefits well beyond the riding ones. I’m sure anyone putting in the miles would benefit from a personal MOT and tune up.
Paul Callinan- London Dynamo Ex-president – Read Paul’s full story
I’d been off the bike 4 months … had physio and did core work it just wasn’t working … I’m a total sceptic and tried Craig because what did I have to lose! I’m now back doing 240 miles a week and the power is arriving back. I totally, totally, totally recommend Craig in Putney, first pain free week since April.
Jenny Hewitt- Tri coach and national level time trialist
At the beginning of this year I started time trialling, and have regularly been seeing Don throughout this time. Keeping in the same position for hours of riding puts a lot of strain on the back, but in my first season of riding and getting on a TT bike I can honestly say that my back hasn’t felt better!
Mark Phillips - Cyclist – Read Mark’s full story
After every long bike ride that included lots of climbing I’d always experience lower back pain and hamstring problems on my right side. Although sceptical of the value of chiropractors I decided to give Putney Chiropractic a go. Seven hours, 22 minutes, 205 km and three massive mountain climbs later I finished the ride with my first ever gold standard in a long distance event, and although tired I had no lower back pain – none at all! There was no soreness the next day either. Success! I’m now a total convert and continue to visit Putney Chiropractic regularly.
Craig and Cycling
Chiropractor Craig has been a competitive cyclist and triathlete for many years. He has a third category racing license and finished around the top 100 of the Windsor triathlon 2010 with a time of 2h19. He has also been working with cyclists professionally for many years and knows that a good chiropractor is an essential member of a cycling team. He completed the Nove Colli 2011 (205 km and nine Italian peaks) in 7h15 and is a regular amateur competitor in road races and time trial, representing his club London Dynamo. He has a PB over 25 miles time trial of 55m30s (av speed of 43.6kmh)
Tour de France 09
Craig and his friends have made the pilgrimage to France for the last few summers to cycle the alpine stages of the Tour de France.
In 2009 we had a great day out at the individual time trial around Lake Annecy. We got up close and personal to Lance Armstrong and Bradley Wiggins. Craig’s son, Lachlan, even had a chance to play with Lance’s kids while their dad was racing!
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