Peloton poor form may lead to neck pain, upper back pain, headaches, TMJ pain, and ultimately- arthritis! Peloton Riders Can Be Susceptible To Injury
We love Peloton riders in our office. In fact, both of our doctors (@NorthCali and @NMChu) are regulars in @robinnyc, @alextoussaint25, and @tune2tunde classes, but have been known to dabble with all the instructors. We love staying active with all of our patients in and out of the office, so let’s ride!
Safety First
It would be wrong of us to not give you guys the tools, advise, and pep talk to be the best rider you can be, so let’s take a moment to review some basics. We recommend going over the 101’s of the bike. Make sure to watch the video on how to set up your bike according to your height and body, and how to clip in and out of your bike safely. Ensure all the knobs on the bike are secure. As you peddle, make sure that your heels are down, knees are tracking straight ahead, hips and glutes are at the wide end of the seat, elbows are slightly bent, shoulders are away from your ears, fingers are relaxed, and spine is neutral. Now you’re ready to make your way up the leader board!
Practice Makes Progress
We are constantly reminded by our Peloton instructors to pay attention to our form. Every instructor is trained on how pertinent posture is in overall health, but more importantly, how critical it is in performance and getting you those personal records you are working so hard for. Many instructors and Bay Area Peloton riders come from a background in technology, meaning they are locked in poor posture from sitting in front of a computer all day. Bad ergonomics and posture leads to chronic strains that turn into injuries down the line. The postural distortion from working at a desk is called “upper crossed syndrome”. It is described as excessive tightness in your shoulders and chest, and weakness in your neck and mid-back. If this pattern is not corrected, it can lead to issues on the bike, especially as the number of classes you take increases. To help understand how upper crossed syndrome causes trouble, think of your spine as a telephone pole and your head as a bowling ball that sits directly on top of the pole. When the bowling ball is positioned directly over the top of the upright post, very little effort is required to keep it in place. If you tip the pole forward causing the ball to roll over the edge, it requires more than just the pole to keep the ball balanced on top. This is where other muscles have to come into play to help your head stay aligned with your spine. This effort results in repetitive sprain and strain of the ligaments and muscles of your neck and upper back. The constant strain is uncomfortable and usually leads to pain in your shoulders, neck, and upper back. This then can lead to headaches, TMJ pain, and ultimately, arthritis. This postural problem is exceptionally common in computer workstation users and Peloton riders that we have worked with. We see quick results with upper cross syndrome by stretching the tight muscles, activating weak muscles, modifying your workstation, evaluating your bike position, and restoring proper movement with chiropractic adjustments.
How We Are Here For You
Our goal is to keep our team healthy and vibrant. Check out some of the services we offer to keep you riding effortlessly.
Complimentary Exercises
Muscle tightness or weakness causes discomfort and alters normal joint function, leading to additional problems. We will target tight or weak muscles with specific therapeutic stretching and strengthening to help increase tissue flexibility, build strength, and ease pain. Healthy, strong, and flexible muscles help prevent injury and re-injuring old issues.
Chiropractic Adjustments
Motion is lotion! Injury, poor postural habits, or harmful repetitive motions can cause your joints to stop moving freely. Restricted movement leads to more scar tissue, compensation, and dysfunctional patterns that hurt you. Think of your joints as hinges on a door. Joints limited by injury, poor postural habits, or damaging repetitive motions are like rusted hinges, they’re unable to move freely. The rusty hinge won’t work as intended, frustrating the person using the door. To get the hinge working well again, we would spray it with WD40, tap on it with a hammer, and repeatedly move the hinge through its full motion. By doing this, over time we could restore the rusty, non-functioning hinge almost back to new. Chiropractic adjustments help to restore normal motion back to the joints of your body, just like restoring proper function to the door hinge described above. No, we won’t spray you with WD40, but we do use our hands, and/or a specialized instrument or table to gently restore normal joint motion. And when joints move freely, that motion relieves pain, improves flexibility, and allows you to enjoy a body that works as intended. Added bonus: it helps delay arthritic degeneration that most people experience as they age.
Graston Technique®, ART® and Myofascial Release
Overworked muscles often become tight and develop knots or “trigger points”. Chronic tightness produces inflammation and swelling that ultimately leads to the formation of “adhesions” between tissues. We apply pressure with our hands, or with Graston instruments, to release muscle rightness,soft-tissue adhesions, or scar tissue. This helps to improve your circulation, relieve pain, and restore flexibility and normal range of motion.
We Want to be Part of Your Health Team
At ProActive Chiropractic, our goal is to get you Back to Work and Back to Play. We offer a complementary 20 minute consultation to determine if your cycling position could be contributing to your pain. See you on the bike!