massage - I Love Bicycling

Avoiding Sciatica While Riding

May 5, 2015 by Guest Post

When I first entered the cycling community my main drive was the fact that I couldn’t run without feeling sciatica down my right leg. I had completed all the Orthopedic tests and MRIs and found out it was not disc related. Yet, the weakness and numbness would not subside, so I was extremely bummed that I wasn’t leading an active lifestyle. I was assessed by a physical therapist and told all my issues were being caused due to muscle tightness and muscle imbalances. Alas! An answer to my problem.

Cycling is non weight bearing exercise and really helps strengthen my muscles (hip flexor, glute maximus, and hamstrings). Slowly, I began to feel better and was able to do other activities besides cycling; such as: swimming, weight lifting and running. It is important to note that sciatica is not an actual injury rather, a catch all term for an underlying pathology. Sciatica is what alerts us to muscle tightness, muscle imbalances in our hips, disc herniation or impingement, leg length discrepancy, or piriformis syndrome. There is also about 22% of the population which have the sciatic nerve going straight through the piriformis instead of behind it. This makes one more susceptible for sciatica symptoms. If you’re experiencing sciatica and have ruled out a disc injury, then the following tips can be beneficial for resolving symptoms and causes.

SADDLE POSITION

Having the appropriate saddle position is vital for a variety of reasons. If your saddle is too low in relation to your pedals it can cause the hip muscles to be in a constant shortened position. This does not allow the piriformis, hip flexor, glute max, or glute medius to stretch out at any phase of the pedal stroke. When this happens it can lead to compression of the sciatic nerve causing numbness, tingling, and a feeling of general posterior leg tightness when riding. However, this can be fixed by visiting a certified, bike fitting specialist at your local bike shop. There are some companies like Specialized that offer courses to certify bike employees in proper fitting techniques. They use specific body landmarks, plumb lines, and goniometric measurements to ensure the bike is fitted to your needs. Once you’ve adjusted your saddle position you will see a rapid improvement in your symptoms.

It is also important during long rides to pedal off the seat once in a while to allow some blood flow into your legs. When sitting on the saddle for a long period of time, the sciatic nerve is compressed as well as surrounding blood vessels. By pedaling off the seat we relieve the nerve compression and allow an increase in circulation. This can also be accomplished by unclipping one leg at a time and shaking it out to increase blood flow.

MUSCLE TIGHTNESS

If the hamstrings, glute maximus, hip flexor, or specifically the piriformis is tight it can choke the sciatic nerve and cause this nagging pain. It can also cause improper rotation of the hips, which aggravate the sciatic nerve. It is imperative we stretch these muscles before and after riding. These muscles should be stretched ideally 3 times for 20-30 seconds multiple times a day. Using a stretch out strap (pictured below) is beneficial in getting a good hamstring stretch. Below I’ve demonstrated some great stretches for the glute maximus, hip flexor, and piriformis.

Piriformis and Glute Max Stretch. Can also be done on floor.

If after stretching these muscles the symptoms are not resolved, there may be some scar tissue forming in the area and ART massage would be indicated. Although painful, ART will help in breaking up any adhesions in the piriformis which are restricting the normal function of the sciatic nerve. There can also be a leg length discrepancy caused by tight hip muscles which can be released with manual therapy. If the leg length discrepancy is congenital, then a heel lift with the necessary measurements can be inserted into your cleat.

MUSCLE IMBALANCES

Sciatica can also be caused due to muscle imbalances in the hip area which cause the piriformis and hamstrings to work harder in an effort to compensate for areas of weaknesses. This can be corrected by completing the exercises listed in 7 exercises to treat and cure IT band syndrome. It can also be addressed by adding squats, walking lunges, reverse lunges, single leg dead lift, and hip abduction to your workout regime, twice a week. By strengthening these hip muscles it will correct compensation patterns and release the tension in the hamstring and piriformis caused by overworking them. In turn, the sciatic nerve is relieved from compression.

In following these tips the causes for sciatica can be resolved and you can return to riding pain free.

Written by: Dyani Herrera

Hip Rehab Program for Cyclists

Looking for a program that will help you address the muscle imbalance that is likely causing your sciatica? Look no further than Dynamic Cyclist. This comprehensive resource addresses the most common muscle imbalances and adaptive muscle shortening that lead to pain and reduced performance on the bike. With just 15 minutes a day, you can follow along with the video programs to alleviate tension and improve posture, so you can ride pain free and reach your full potential on the bike. Try out their 6 Week Functional Rehab Program and experience the results for yourself. Click here to try 7 days free!

Massage Tips For Tight Muscles

January 15, 2015 by Dyani Herrera

Frequent rides may do wonders for our fitness level both physically and mentally, but they do take a toll on our muscles if we don’t stretch sufficiently. Not properly caring for these muscles could lead to restrictions in our fascia. Fascia is a type of tissue in our body which envelops and divides the muscles. It has the ability to contract and relax with our muscles as well as withstand any load we may place.

However, at times if it is a higher load than our muscles can withstand, the fascia can become “deformed” and create restrictions, which lead to pain. They also cause decreased range of motion. These restrictions can become chronic issues if not treated adequately such as IT band syndrome, leg length discrepancies, or piriformis syndrome to name a few. Nevertheless, there are a few massage techniques which are great to address these “knots” in our soft tissue.

Active-Release Technique (ART):

This technique is best completed by a clinician (physical therapist, chiropractor, athletic trainer, or occupational therapist) that is certified in this manual therapy, but I’ll help you out with a brief video so you may do these at home with a partner if a clinician is not available to you. The idea behind ART is that it releases the knots in your fascia by moving the muscle in the direction it performs (refer to the chart for assistance). For instance, to release your quadriceps the therapist would massage upwards as you extend your knee/leg.

At first, this technique can be painful, but take it from someone who does this consistently; it feels SO much better afterwards. Once your legs have been released with ART you feel like you could ride for hours. Typically, ART is done on the area that is causing you pain, but it helps to release the most active muscles in the lower extremity (hip flexor, piriformis, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and peroneals). This is additionally helpful, since fascia is found all over our body, and a restriction in a surrounding muscle can affect the one below or above it.

Therefore, if you’re having pain in the hamstring, part of the problem can be a restriction or lack of flexibility in the calf, causing the hamstring to work harder than it should. One good tip before performing ART is to heat the muscle being treated for about 15 minutes, to enhance the effects of the massage. A lotion that has an oily base with some analgesic would be best to help the fingers glide and offer some pain relief. Some of my favorites include “Alo” and “Biofreeze” which can usually be found at your local CVS.

ART Hip flexor & Quads ART Quads & Peroneals ART Peroneals & Piriformis

Muscle	Action it Performs/Direction
Quadriceps	Knee extension
Hamstrings	Knee flexion
Hip Flexor	Flexes hip/brings hip up
Peroneals	Moves foot outwards, away from you
Calves	Moves foot/ankle towards floor
Piriformis	Hip rotation away from you

The next question you may be asking yourself is how often should you do this? This answer depends on several factors: How often do you ride? How many miles a week? Are you currently experiencing pain on one of these locations? If you’re an avid rider, it would be advantageous to do this at least once a week to address any restrictions and decrease your risk of soft tissue injury.

Deep Tissue Massage:

This massage is indicated for a person who would like a full body release after enduring a tough ride or race. It is important to note, this is not a relaxation massage, it can be painful over your pressure points, but you will feel more flexible afterwards. This type of massage should only be performed by someone who is a certified massage therapist. If an uncertified person performs this massage, they could do more harm than good. In addition, make sure to let you therapist know you are a cyclist and which areas you would like them to focus on. These can be completed once a month unless you’re in a heavy training bulk, then twice is more beneficial.

Graston Technique:

Graston massage is performed by clinicians who have been certified in this manual therapy and know how to properly use the tools. This is another technique which focuses largely on releasing restrictions in the fascia except it uses the tools in an almost “scraping” motion. Each tool is stainless steel and specifically shaped to treat certain areas of the body.

In addition to releasing fascia it also aids with removing accumulated lactic acid in muscles. It can be painful if the muscle and fascia are very tight, but will help increase flexibility and reduce risk of injury. When I’ve been in a high volume period of my training this has been a lifesaver, especially in helping me remove lactic acid. It has also helped with making my legs feel fresh for my next riding session. YouTube has several videos demonstrating the technique for different injuries and issues.

Self-Myofascial Release:

This technique is the most economical of the four and can be done consistently on your own with the help of a few tools. The most effective tools to help you include a high density foam roller, foam roller with ridges, the stick roller, and lacrosse ball. These can be completed a few times a week by rolling over the affected muscle for about 20-30 seconds, 2-3 times. Make sure to not continue rolling over the same muscle or tendon because, then you can irritate the area instead of release it. The lacrosse ball is great to release the rhomboids (between the shoulder blades) or the IT band.

It is vital that after completing any of these massages you drink plenty of water to help your body get rid of the byproducts from the massage. Although these massages can be painful they are beneficial. The same force and tension you applied on these muscles to get them this tight in the first place is the same amount needed to release them.

Post Ride Massage – Selfie

October 2, 2013 by Lee Agur

If you can spend an hour or two riding a bike, you can spend 5 to 10 minutes stretching and giving yourself a post ride massage. Unfortunately, I did not always believe this and it resulted in lower back pain and a few knee injuries. It all could have been prevented!

Post ride massages help you: recover faster, reduce/prevent injury, relax/elongate your muscles, improve circulation, flush metabolic cellular waste byproducts, calm your nervous system, relieve pain and feel better.

Now I do not know about you, but not many people are lining up to give me a massage. Weird. I use a foam roller, a lacrosse ball and a hand held massage device. I have a quick little ritual I do.

I start rolling on my lower back which usually cracks a few times and it instantly makes me feel better. Then I move to my IT band (source of my knee injuries) and I pretend my leg is on a rotisserie, rolling up and down… moving from the IT band to the quads, to the inner thigh and finally the hamstring. After my legs are done I massage my glutes, and most of the time I forget the calves… but I recommend hitting them up as well. 5 minutes down 5 to go.

After rolling it is likely you found some “awesome” spots (read as: “sore” spots). I try and spend a few minutes concentrated on them with the lacrosse ball. If they were “awesome” with the roller they are going to be really “awesome” with the lacrosse ball. Sometimes these areas just hurt too much and I remember that I need to focus on them later.

In the evenings I generally come back to the “awesome” spots and use the handheld massage device to focus on these areas while laying down and watching a TV-show or a movie.