rimrock

I'm 67, and have been cycling most of my life. 2 years ago I developed a pinched nerve in my neck after cycling, and it led to loss of use (paralysis) of the deltoid muscle in my right shoulder. It turns out I had a bulging disk, so I had surgery to fuse vertebrae 5 & 6, and a bone spur was removed, and over the next year I regained about 50% of the use of the right deltoid. I laid off cycling for the last year, but started up again a couple of weeks ago, and went for a 7 mi ride, then a few days later a 12 mi ride on a back road in the hills near my house. I ended up with a strained neck, and now my right deltoid isn't working again. Back to square 1. I'm wondering whether I should go to a chiropractor this time. there is a local chiropractor who claims that most neck problems are due to a misaligned top vertebrae. I'm not sure if it is the Axis or the Atlas, but he xrays the back, then adjusts the top vertebrae over a series of visits. Its not cheap and medicare doesn't cover it. I'd love to hear opinions. I already know what my back surgeon's opinion is of chiropractors...

Tony Marley

I am sorry to hear of your medical issues. I am not qualified to give any type of medical advice, but do recommend that you consider a recumbent bike or trike if you want to return to cycling. On them, your head is naturally in an upright position.

Best wishes for a complete and speedy recovery.

Dave Cutter

Bummer about your injury!

I don't think chiropractors operate on bulging disks.... or do surgeons sell products other than surgery. I am almost positive that any recuperation you might get from your injury will be the result of immediate attention from a physical therapist. Your GP would recommend/refer you for that... I believe. I always take my medical problems to my trusted GP for his advice. Free advice from family, friends, and Internet posts... are worth every penny you pay for them.

With treatment options aside... If something is causing you injury and or pain... stop doing it. I often see elderly cyclists out riding (and I don't mean guys YOUR/OUR age). I spoke to one guy still riding at age 89. I want to be one of those elderly cyclists someday myself. I know that may mean a recumbent or recumbent trike. Honestly... those recumbents look like a lot of fun! Your old bike... may not serve you well in your (coming) old age.

If you were half your age and hadn't had surgery and was complaining of neck pain.... I'd say: get a (bicycle) fitting. And work on core strength, balance, and flexibility. Balance is even more important to our fitness as we age. Not being balanced will make you less flexible... and prone to injury. Without an effort to maintain core strength.... more stress will be placed on "more vulnerable" areas.

choteau

What's your riding position? Might be time to ride a LOT more upright. After 2 surgeries at C5-6 for bulging disc/bone spurs. (The first surgeon botched it and the second fixed it). I went from able to use drops to having to use flat bars with a riser stem or north road bars to avoid neck/arm/shoulder pain. I'd avoid the bone cruncher.
Tim

John_V 

I will second Dave Cutter's sentiments. Personally, I would try a physical therapist or a sports medicine doc before giving up hope. I have used chiropractors for shoulder and lower back issues but I don't know that I would like them manipulating my spine above the shoulders. I would also strongly consider the possibility of a recumbent bike/trike if you really want to pursue cycling. I'm 69 and ride a road bike alongside 30, 40 and 50 year old's. I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to do that as I am slowly starting to feel the effects of it. My wife rides a recumbent trike that I rode yesterday for 25 miles. It's a blast to ride and if I can no longer ride my road bike, for whatever reason, I don't think I will need too much convincing to go the recumbent trike route. I live in Florida, so we don't have any hills, per say, to worry about where a recumbent bike/trike will be an issue.

Best of luck in finding a solution to your shoulder problem so you can continue with your riding.

rydabent

Or------------------you could probably continue to ride on a recumbent bike or trike.

rimrock

thanks, the suggestions relating to a more upright position make sense in the longer term. My experience with PT is mostly negative - i.e. I was better able to solve the problems on my own (shoulder pain, frozen shoulder). However, future riding aside, I am looking for some way to evaluate the competing claims of both chiropractor and surgeon. If the upper neck vertebrae are mis-aligned, that should get fixed. But the surgeon won't even discuss the issue. It seems strange that there are these two bodies of experts who don't have any common ground.

Mvcrash

Atlanto-axial joint is not a place you want to play around with, which is the opinion of the Chief Medical Examiner I am friendly with. Be careful with this. Hope you feel better.

sch

You should stay away from chiropractors with neck problems that result in nerve dysfunction. Look up 'cervical dermatomes' on google to see where the
nerves in the neck go and you will see that the deltoid is innervated at the C4-5 level. The axis/atlantis dermatomes are in the back of the skull and
motor to the trapezius which is at a higher level than the deltoid. Forceful 'manipulations' in the neck can exacerbate pre-existing problems which in
over 50s are almost always degenerative in nature, either calcifications of the ligaments between vertebral bodies or arthritic changes impinging on the
nerve foramina.

Gonemad

I had a cervical fusion about 7 years ago and was told to stay off bicycles unless I sat completely upright. Well, that completely sucked but I did it for 6 years by basically doing only really short rides (6-8 miles), say about 2 a month (or less) but ignored the advise about being completely upright. About a year ago I was having neck/arm discomfort and had neck injections by a physical med doctor followed by PT. Well this was a god-send for my PT was a sports specialist who insisted that the original no serious bicycling advice was rubbish and put me on an exercise plan to restore my ability to do serious rides. And it worked! In the last year I've done rides (40+ miles) I've not done in nearly 10 years, and not only that I've been doing these rides twice a week for months now...no problems! Whatever you do, stay away from chiropractors (been there, done that, made things worse). Hopefully your story can be the same...find the right physical med doctor and PT to get you on track, that did wonders for me.

StanSeven

A good expereinced chiropractor may likely help. If they can't, they will tell you. Ask around locally for opinions on who to visit.

StanSeven

A good expereinced chiropractor may likely help. If they can't, they will tell you. Ask around locally for opinions on who to visit. If you check patient success data of chiropractors vs MDs, chiropractors are rated much higher.

The important thing is finding the best. Several people I know go to one that's on the Washington Redskins staff.

BlazingPedals

I'm not sure why your bike would do that to you, unless you're assuming a weird position on it (poor fit?) Definitely look into going more upright -- or more reclined.

canklecat

From the files of "If I had known then what I know now"...
...I never would have allowed a chiropractor to make neck adjustments.

I was lucky. The last chiropractor I saw, 10-15 years ago, recognized the splintered C2 vertebrae on the X-Rays and was very careful. The neck adjustments felt good, but didn't fix the problem. I'd have been better off just using gentle massage, topical analgesics, and alternating warm/cold compresses... which is what I do now.

Turns out I'm one of those oddball cases where unusual nerve compression in my neck can cause rapid and frightening increases in blood pressure. The highest has been over 200/100, last year. My usual BP is normal without any meds. So I know any sudden increase is probably due to nerve pressure, and usually preceded by painful spasms.

The damage was from a 2001 car wreck. I wasn't sure I'd walk without a cane again, let alone bicycle. When I resumed cycling last August I figured an upright riding comfort/hybrid would be a good start, and the price was right. If I couldn't handle that I was prepared to consider a recumbent next. But so far, so good with the upright riding bike. I'm riding only 2-4 times a week, usually no more than 10 miles per day. If I increase my riding distance/time and begin to experience pain I'll definitely consider a recumbent.

And no way would I take a chance on a chiropractor making neck adjustments again. I didn't recognize the potential danger back then and was very lucky to have encountered a really good, knowledgeable chiropractor. The fact is, chiropractic is not well regulated and the standards and competence vary tremendously. After my car wreck I was treated by many chiropractors and found only one who was any good and seemed to know what he was doing.

I probably wouldn't opt for surgery either. It didn't really fix the problems for my various family members, and mostly seemed to trade one problem for another. And none of them had the very tricky cervical damage - theirs were all middle and lower back fusions, kyphoplasties and treatments for stenosis.

rimrock

Neck strains are common among cyclists, Google it. So are pinched nerves in the neck. For me the strain comes from tilting the neck to keep my head upright with hands on road bike handlebars. Not the drops, I rarely if ever use the drops, I have brake levers that I can reach from the tops.

rimrock

Thanks for adding your expertise here. It still doesn't resolve the basic question: can misalignment of the top vertebrae lead to problems with nerves at lower levels (e.g. C4/5), or make degenerative problems worse? Are there doctors who evaluate that question, and would understand the need for an adjustment to relieve pressure lower down?

rimrock

Thanks for weighing in. That really is why I have not gone to a chiropractor, ever. But I do have recommendations for a local chiropractor who specializes in neck adjustments and has an excellent reputation. It still does not make it an easy decision. The way I understand the technique, the chiropractor uses x-rays, and is able to see whether or not the top vertebra is aligned correctly from the x-ray.

VegasTriker

Is that chiropractor or chiroquacktor. A long time ago I had a discussion with one who offered me some (free) unsolicited nutritional information. I have an extensive science background and knew what he was claiming was pure bunk. It was worth exactly what I paid for it. It left me questioning how good the training he was undergoing really was. When they start talking about spinal manipulation to cure ills, I am very skeptical. Show me the proof!

TiHabanero

There is another option for the bike, and that is a comfort bike. Bents tend to be expensive, however the comfort bike is a low cost alternative, and are capable of long days as well. They sit you upright, too.

John E

To put my personal biases on the table:

1) My younger son is currently studying for a DPT degree. Knowing how rigorous his training is gives me a positive view toward physical therapy.

2) I like my medicine conservative, with things like surgery as a last resort.

3) For orthopedic or other medical problems which could affect my physical activity (cycling, walking, some jogging, enough weight lifting to maintain my upper body strength), I want to see a medical professional who actively participates in at least some of the same activities. We have a couple of well-regarded local holistic sports medicine offices in which physical therapists, chiropractors, radiologists, and orthopedic surgeons practice collaboratively.

4) I am extremely cautious when it comes to chiropractors, acupuncturists, etc. There are many very good and effective ones -- some of whom are personal friends -- who freely acknowledge their limitations and know what they are doing, but these professions need to clear out their bad apples.

5) I have felt the impacts of improper fit on a bicycle, and I fortunately resolved this before doing permanent spinal or nerve damage. For me, the worst thing was an excessively long forward reach to the bars, which is why I care more about a frame's top tube length than its seat tube length. I have also swallowed my pride and raised my handlebar stem a bit, which also helps.

FBinNY 

The dropped bar position puts unique strain on the neck comparable to standing up and looking at the ceiling all day, except worse because you're holding the head up against gravity. It's not a natural position, and can eventually lead to muscle spasms or other consequences. Extreme cases are fairly common among ultra marathon riders and is common enough to have a name --- Shermer's Neck.

Exercise can help, as can changing riding position, or learning to relax and hold the head only high enough to look past your eyebrows.

Given the seriousness of your issues, I'd change the riding position to be more upright, and proceed with caution being careful to avoid repeating the damage.

StanSeven

There are all sorts of people in all professions that do that. In other words quacks are everywhere.

Rehab

This was the change I made last June. Different back problem but chronic. Going bent was the best decision for me and still going 3000 miles later.

kaisersling

I concur on the physio as opposed to a chiro. I'm just not a big believer and have seen additional damage done. I have seen great results when combining a physiotherapist and physical therapy.

Wildwood 

5th or 6th or 8th person to strongly recommend PT and advise your General that you are going.

Of course, let them know your concerns up front and relevant history.
And describe in detail the problem and pain areas, especially mentioning pinched nerve specifics.