Question:
Hello all,
Need help with a cyclist. She suffered whiplash in accident 5 years ago. Since then knew felt niggles but got along. But she has started cycling now and there is definitel problem.
On her training bike, with dropped handlebars, she feels distinct pulling pain when she rotates her head right, but when she rotates left, she feels she is coming back on something. Sometimes it feels as if something is going across area of C7, she describes it as 'like water running' in the area. It is not as painful on her mountain bike, she sits you her straighter. One thing I suggested was that she raised the bars slightly on her road bike, she get her neck out of the position.
She has now done that, maybe only slightly, but no difference in pain.
I have worked all back, with special attention to mid and upper back. Problems in erector spinae, in the rhomboids, levator scapuale and definitely upper fibres of trapezius. At one time I thought we had zeroed in on levator scapulae as one of the main sites, and it may be but there is something else.
In the neck, we have worked all the posterior cervical muscles and there are lump areas in trapezius fibres and in tenderness in area of attachment for splenius capitis and such.
Also check anterior neck. Main thing find is a hollow at the left clavicle, which would indicated tightness in scalene. But that would not cause the pain she feels rotating the head.
She is also seeing a physio but not getting too much joy from that.
Would love to hear suggestions from anyone.
She does not have the pain at other times, it is something that is coming on while she is riding. She said she starts to feel it after about an hour, and then it is there.
If she stops cycling for a break, and gets back on the bike, it is gone, but again after a period of time, the pain is back when she turns her head.
She has checked bike set up and she is confident she is not over reaching to the handlebars.
Help
Coolcyclist
Hi!
Crystal Therapy has significant results with back and neck problems. I am based in Swindon, not sure where you are? Any back of the neck problems relate to fear of failure as it is the back of the throat chakra - have you looked at Louise Hay - You Can Heal Your Body for affirmations to work with?
Love and light
As I think you spotted - the dropped handle bars cause a greater extension in the neck & as such approximate the cervical facet joints. She probably acquired stiffness & locking in various facet joints in the cervical spine from the whiplash incident and they are most likely causing some of the sympathetic nervous symptoms that are being experienced.
An osteopath or chiropractor should be able to release them and she'll probably need to do appropriate stretches to affect a long term change. If the practioner seen doesn't or is reluctant to advise on this, then they advise that they see someone else.
The hypertonicity in the scalenes not responding to osft tissue work also suggests underlying facet joint locking/irritation.
Andrew.
Hi Coolcyclist,
I've just posted a reply to the thread "Is this a trapped nerve?"
you might want to have a look at, it might not be relevant, but might help.
I fully believe osteopaths or chiropractor's do a great job, and I have visited many over the past 15 years, but found it a short term solution. Instead I have done Alexander Therapy which hashelped me tremendously.
Andrea
Hi Andrew and Andrea,
Thank you very much for your thoughts. I see the client again on Wednesday and will discuss it with her. I had mentioned seeing an osteopath before, as my instinct was telling me there was something else there.
I am also going to change course a bit and work on anterior muscles again, as her neck is forward and this postural problem is adding to the problem when she has her neck extended when she is on the bike.
Coolcylist
Need help with a cyclist. She suffered whiplash in accident 5 years ago. Since then knew felt niggles but got along. But she has started cycling now and there is definitel problem.
On her training bike, with dropped handlebars, she feels distinct pulling pain when she rotates her head right, but when she rotates left, she feels she is coming back on something. Sometimes it feels as if something is going across area of C7, she describes it as 'like water running' in the area. It is not as painful on her mountain bike, she sits you her straighter. One thing I suggested was that she raised the bars slightly on her road bike, she get her neck out of the position.
She has now done that, maybe only slightly, but no difference in pain.
I have worked all back, with special attention to mid and upper back. Problems in erector spinae, in the rhomboids, levator scapuale and definitely upper fibres of trapezius. At one time I thought we had zeroed in on levator scapulae as one of the main sites, and it may be but there is something else.
In the neck, we have worked all the posterior cervical muscles and there are lump areas in trapezius fibres and in tenderness in area of attachment for splenius capitis and such.
Also check anterior neck. Main thing find is a hollow at the left clavicle, which would indicated tightness in scalene. But that would not cause the pain she feels rotating the head.
She is also seeing a physio but not getting too much joy from that.
Would love to hear suggestions from anyone.
She does not have the pain at other times, it is something that is coming on while she is riding. She said she starts to feel it after about an hour, and then it is there.
If she stops cycling for a break, and gets back on the bike, it is gone, but again after a period of time, the pain is back when she turns her head.
She has checked bike set up and she is confident she is not over reaching to the handlebars.
Help
Coolcyclist
Answers:
Hi!
Crystal Therapy has significant results with back and neck problems. I am based in Swindon, not sure where you are? Any back of the neck problems relate to fear of failure as it is the back of the throat chakra - have you looked at Louise Hay - You Can Heal Your Body for affirmations to work with?
Love and light
Answers:
As I think you spotted - the dropped handle bars cause a greater extension in the neck & as such approximate the cervical facet joints. She probably acquired stiffness & locking in various facet joints in the cervical spine from the whiplash incident and they are most likely causing some of the sympathetic nervous symptoms that are being experienced.
An osteopath or chiropractor should be able to release them and she'll probably need to do appropriate stretches to affect a long term change. If the practioner seen doesn't or is reluctant to advise on this, then they advise that they see someone else.
The hypertonicity in the scalenes not responding to osft tissue work also suggests underlying facet joint locking/irritation.
Andrew.
Answers:
Hi Coolcyclist,
I've just posted a reply to the thread "Is this a trapped nerve?"
you might want to have a look at, it might not be relevant, but might help.
I fully believe osteopaths or chiropractor's do a great job, and I have visited many over the past 15 years, but found it a short term solution. Instead I have done Alexander Therapy which hashelped me tremendously.
Andrea
Answers:
Hi Andrew and Andrea,
Thank you very much for your thoughts. I see the client again on Wednesday and will discuss it with her. I had mentioned seeing an osteopath before, as my instinct was telling me there was something else there.
I am also going to change course a bit and work on anterior muscles again, as her neck is forward and this postural problem is adding to the problem when she has her neck extended when she is on the bike.
Coolcylist
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