Neck pain!
 

I have been battling Neck pain for a number of years now. It seems to come on when i'm on the bike for around three hours. Other days I can do a six hour ride and I feel totally normal. The last three years I did 7 days of ragbri And that was a 100% fine? I've been to the chiropractor , The physical therapist, I was on a regiment of upper body and neck workout at the gym. My bicycle is a Specialized Diverge, Which has a very upright geometry. I put an up stem on the bike, 70mm with a 17°of rise, And I've tried various adjustments. When this happens I have to stop and rest my head on my handle Bars, Ride a while then stop again And it completely fatigues me. So I dnf.
Is there anyone that you know that has beat this Condition?

My neck would hurt as well as other body parts after 6 hours. :thumb:

Usually for me such pain is all about how much I have to lift my head to see down the road. If you are having to crane your neck to do the same, then check that your helmet isn't blocking your view down the road. If you look up with your eyes the less of your helmet that is blocking your view the better... at least for your neck. So see if your helmet has a way to adjust it's tilt so the front of it is higher on your forehead. If your helmet has a removable visor, then try a few rides with the visor removed.

It might also be that you have a bad posture on your bike. Don't have a very rounded back. It should be straight or nearly straight. Could be that your bars are too wide and you are bracing yourself too much and your shoulders are bearing all the brunt of the road forces and your shoulder and neck muscles are complaining about that.

There are many reasons for and types of neck pain. I've been battling it for 7 years and mostly, the pain wins. I've literally done everything short of surgery. RF ablation and intralaminar injections reduce pain for me. Riding a recumbent reduces neck pain for me. Reducing miles per week helps. Icing after rides helps. Narcotics help a little. Anti-inflammatories do not help me.

(I am assuming you have been fit properly or riding long enough to know how to position yourself on the bike...?)

I have chronic neck and shoulder issues, along with badly arthritic thumbs. I have made a lot of changes in my on bike positioning. I have found that on long rides, getting off the bike more often, mostly just for a few minutes, is a big help with keeping the comfort level where I now like it to be, which means no suffering.

I don't think chiropractors are good at anything except separating you from the money in your wallet. If you have not already had a proper fit session at a shop as others have said, go see your PCP and get an x-ray as a starter.

I've done most everything you all have mentioned. For my last helmet I put a cinch strap on my glasses so my glasses would not drop down keeping my helmet up. Yes I just did the chiropractor for a few visits and he physical therapy didn't show me any new exercises with the rubber bands that I wasn't already doing at the gym. As far as being fit, I need an experienced fitter that has solved problems. Every one fits differently to an extent. I don't know of such a fitter in Omaha.

You have ridden a bike enough to have a pretty good fit. It may not be the fit at all.
A few things to try. Previous injuries? Find a steepish hill and climb out of the saddle and in the saddle. As slow as you can comfortably do it.Concentrate on how your arms move and grip the bars. Just watch them.Are they different?
Ride as slowly as you comfortly can in as big a gear as you can on the flat. Look to see how you move and where the differences are. Slow so you can watch how you move. Speed covers the small errors in your movement. I cycle regularly 5 km just like that. Also walk as slow as you can and watch how your arms move. As slow as possible.
​​​​​​It will take a couple of attempts to see it.
Stand in front of a mirror. Slowly rotate your head left to right , up and down every which way you can slowly. The differences , can be very small so look carefully. Does it move the same both sides.
Using your hands massage bother sides of your neck and shoulders. Be meticulous. You will find any problems if you are meticulous and concentrate. If you do find any keep at it till they are gone. And unfortunately it takes a long long time to fix. It's the effective length of muscles that is the key and knots change it.
Keep looking because a problem in a hand, elbow or shoulder will effect the other and your neck.
Tennis ball and roll it out.
​​​​​​I have done it and the time it takes is way way longer than you think. Hours and hours. I can't stress that enough.
Slow everything down so you can see and feel the true movement.
Good luck.
​​​​​​And I should add don't push in to the pain to stretch it out. That doesn't work. Go up to it over and over again. And over and over again. If you have had an injury for many years your body adjusts to it and it can take years to work it back out properly.


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Maybe call these two?

https://www.nebraskamed.com/physical...erapy/bike-fit

https://edgept.com/services/cycle-fitting-and-injuries/

I'm not the OP, but I believe you gave me the same advice when I said I had a sore neck after lowering my handlebar. That turned out to be spot-on. I'd had a visor attached to my helmet, and I had to crane my neck to prevent the visor from blocking my view. I took the visor out and adjusted my head angle. Now the neck pain is gone, even with my handlebar even lower than when I first asked about it. So... thank you!

Putting aside chronic issues particular to you - we all fall victim to poor posture, either induced by poor posture from the outset, or poor posture due to the onset of fatigue for what might be a 'long' ride for any of us.
Maybe check and adjust your 'posture' on the bike, especially as you get into longer ride times/lengths....
Falling into a straigtharm w/locked elbows, of the handebars, regardless of bike type; will cause shock to go directly up into the neck and shoulders; which also restricts neck flexibility and movement, and causes the assorted neck muscles to fatigue. A bend in the elbows and active lowering of the shoulders counters shock projection up the arms to the neck - being our 'shock absorbers' and at the same time frees up significantly more and easier rotation of the neck - not just in a circular axis around the cervical spine, but also in front to back flexibility. All essential for comfort on a bike. Paying attention to this thru the entire ride often means less or no pain.
Try this to see the difference between the 'blocked' straigtharm which one commonly see on many riders, vs a much more comfortable posture of dropping/drawing down the shoulder blades
while on your bike, and riding along at an easy pace. You're in your most common posture/position.
allow your arms to straighten, and allow the shoulders to shrug up towards your ears.
Bring your head/face up so you clearly see the road and everything in front of you
Note the feeling in your neck and bottom/back of your skull.

Now, bend the elbows lightly, bring the elbows to a comfortable position closer to the torso/side.
Drop your shoulders 'down', doing this actively by drawing/pulling your shoulder blades down the back.
Now, again, bring your head/face up so you clearly see the road and everything ahead.
Note that feeling...
Which is more comfortable for the neck and neck/skull connection?
strive to remember to use that whenever riding... until it becomes second nature.

Ride On
Yuri

I second the comments of cyclezen. I see so many people in all positions, from relaxed to aggressive, who lock theire elbows, which sends all of the shock into their shoulders and neck. I used to do that, and it takes a while to change and become aware when you do it.

Also, you should get examined by a spinal orthopedist to see if you have a pinched nerve in your neck. (I've got one as a result of a compressed disc.). If you have this condition your pain may not be consistent, which might answer your question as to why your neck bothers you only some of the time.

Best of luck. Hope you solve the problem.

He does not have any nerve root compression. There would be concordant symptoms numbness and tingling in the upper extremities which he does not ccomplaint of.

Nope. You can have pain without numbness, doc.

Don't be silly. Of course you can have pain without numbness. My point is that if he truly had a "pinched nerve" as you call it, there would be subsequent subjective complaints of numbness and tingling in the arms in addition to neck pain. The OP does not have these complaints. Additionally, Orthopedic surgeons don't generally like to see people who don't need surgery.

Just wrong. I'm not going to say it again. Have a great day.

Orthopedic physician assistant here with over 20 years of experience. I personally worked with the spine team in both clinic and many days and nights in the operating room, not to mention pulling first call the emergency department for orthopedic emergencies. Please tell us more about your knowledge of the cervical spine.

You are 100% wrong.

I have C3-7 impinged at the foramen and some central canal impingement. I just had another MRI today, probably going to get 4 level ADR.

I have never had numbness and tingling in my neck, back, or shoulders......just pain and discomfort. As a matter of fact, the initial symptoms a decade ago were very similar to what OP reports. Later, radiculopathy down to the hands and fingers had both numbness and tingling and ultimately weakness.

See what I mean? It would be extremely unlikely if the OP went into the scanner today and found evidence of nerve root impingement considering the absence of his symptoms. Your current MRI reflects your current symptoms. Furthermore, a 4 level artificial disc replacement is not supported by current literature. No more than 2 levels are recommended due to quality literature studies indicating complications with high levels of heterotopic ossification and concerns regarding implant migration. Additionally, cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of 1- and 2-level cervical pathology only, with established long-term safety and effectiveness. Not 3 and 4 levels. "Only a few multilevel studies have reported on 3- and 4-level CDA, and long-term clinical data have not been reported in the literature." There is no way you should let a surgeon do a 4 level ADR on you. Get a 2nd opinion.

Sure you are.
I was diagnosed earlier in the spring with compressed vertebrae in my neck from spinal stenosis. The pain radiates from neck to shoulder. I have NO numbness or tingling. Want to see my MRI?

A recumbent will absolutely cure your neck issues.

People don't like hearing it. In fact, riding the bent actually relaxes my neck. Hard to describe, if I ride awhile then turn my head slowly to see something I can feel the neck slowly pop-pop-pop as it turns. Feels great.

I switch between the bent and various upright bikes. the one with lower bars flat kill me. I do have spinal stenosis in all my neck vertebra.

Strongly recommend glucosamine. I've been taking it for years and swear by it.

You are completely missing the point. Yes, you can have neck pain without numbness and tingling in your arms. All I am saying is that radicular symptoms of numbness and tingling should correlate with MRI findings. That's all.

Furthermore, your subsequent comments have it backwards. Spinal stenosis does not cause a compressed vertebrae, but vertebral compression may cause spinal stenosis as part of the sequelae. I read my own MRIs from scratch. I do not rely on radiologist interpretation. Radiologists often miss things or under read.

At this point you are really doing the OP a disservice as I am sure the moderators would agree. You seem intent on looking for an argument and your uneducated bickering, as evidenced by your comments above, is distracting, unwelcomed, and not the intention of this cycling forum. If you have any other personal comments start another thread about your own neck or send a private message. Thank you.

If the pain is on both sides, focus on bike fit and fitness.

If the pain is unilateral, consider seeing specialist, preferably a neurologist IMO. Going to an Orthopaedic Surgeon is like bringing a bucket of nails to a carpenter.

Well,neurologists specialize in disorders of the brain and spinal cord, headaches, difficulty with ambulation, which is not the problem here. They treat Alzheimer's, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, etc.The OP's problems are not neurological but likely mecanical. But yes, orthopedic surgery does not want to see you unless you need surgery.

You are wrong. Multil-level has been performed successful in Europe for decades. I know all about the **** heads at the FDA and our medical insurances. I have had over 10 opinions including the ones who did the 2 level trials in the USA and TBI. I do not need your advice. Heterotopic ossification has nothing to do with more than 2 levels and since only studies on 2 levels have been conducted in the USA, I wonder how you came up with that tidbit. Implant migration is more related to the design of the particular prosthetic and not the number of levels. The two devices approved in the USA for two levels have this problem. The device I have chosen does not. I have thoroughly studied this matter for at least 6 years and am certain I know more than you do on the topic, for sure because you are limited to what FDA and currently approved device mfgs tell you. What you read clinical trials for EU approved devices? Follow-ups? Have many top EU surgeons have had discussions with?

Just here to tell you are 100% wrong. Pain in neck and shoulders can precede numbness and tingling by years. Not just my experience, see what Stanford says. By the time a patient is finally referred to your Doctor's practice, they may be so badly suffering that they have the full constellation of symptoms BUT tingling and numbness does not precede or necessarily go along pain as you indicated. Once they get referred to your office, studies show 85% will have sensory deficits and nearly 100% will have pain. Nearly everyone that I have conversed with on various online forums started with pain and it took many years before seeing an orthopaedic specialist.

https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medic...d%20monitoring.

https://www.drcraigbest.com/spine-ne...hy-chicago-il/

https://princetonsjc.com/cervical-ra...ness-weakness/

%20the%20middle%20finger.[/QUOTE]

https://www.cervicaldisc.com/blog/ce...iddle%20finger.

I'll send an invoice.