At Recovery & Beyond Physiotherapy we see cyclists of all kind including road cyclists , mountain biker’s , time triallists , triathletes as well as the commuter and occasional participant. Traditionally seen as a low impact activity the intensity and volume of training potentially involved , the number of participants and the effect of high speed falls means that these people are seen as often as contact sports at our clinic.
Traumatic injuries are commonly to the shoulder , elbow or wrist , either due to reaching out to cushion the fall or the point of impact , although the head and other parts can be hurt in this way. A fall will often result in joint sprains , fractures and contusions or muscle bruising. Treatment is normally aimed at the injured structures.
Common overuse injuries are low back pain and knee problems , such as patella femoral joint pain and ITB syndrome. These are normally due to the prolonged positions and repetitive movement which causes stress on these structures. More specifically is the ulnar neuropathy or handlebar palsy which is caused by excessive pressure on the ulnar nerve at the wrist. Treatment may be aimed at the symptomatic structures but the important factor is to address the causative factors.
