August 26, 2010
Cycling is a wonderful activity if we can stay healthy on the bike. During the Fall season, I typically see an increase in bike-related overuse injuries as cyclists attempt to stretch their season. Most late-season injuries, those suffered by females in particular, are preventable and can be lumped into three categories: wrist/hand numbness and pain, knee pain, and saddle discomfort.
A few quick fixes to the bike can help reduce hand and upper extremity discomfort. Hand numbness can often be reduced by double wrapping the top of the handlebars with bar tape and/or wearing gel gloves. Cyclists that spend a lot ...
read more »
July 29, 2010
As an endurance sport athlete currently training for the Arizona Ironman, if I created my “ultimate bucket list” it would show my bias towards triathlon, biking, and running. With enough grit, determination, training, and money you can check off your own ultimate bucket list.
What else does it take? Definitely first on my list is a good certified coach. Many people undertake big-time endurance events with a book and some advice from friends. However, nothing beats a good coach who can guide you through all the little stuff that can make the difference between finishing well and ending up in the ...
read more »
June 14, 2010
It is the time of year when many cyclists start to look forward to increasing their time on the bike. Many of us ride for fitness while others have specific goals, like riding Cycle Oregon or the Washington Bicycle Ride. Regardless of the cyclist’s goals, it is extremely frustrating to be held back due to discomfort or injury. Cycling is a wonderful activity if we can stay healthy on the bike. As a professional bike fitter for the past 15 years, I have seen a significant amount of injures on the bike. Most of the injuries were preventable and can ...
read more »
June 14, 2010
Question:
Dear TAI Experts:
I have CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and have had herniated discs in the past. In December, a refrigerator ran down a ramp and hit me hard into the house ( I was scrunched down to protect my head). I told my PCP about this pain and he took X-rays, MRI's, and CAT SCANS. I have osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and spondylthelesis (my spelling sucks on these). He drew a picture of my discs and vertebrae and said at first I had scoliosis. I am female, white, and 43 and never had it before, then he said it was the discs or vertebrae had slid off each other. He put me on medications, but it doesn't seem to be getting better but worse. I am staying with my daughter in Post Falls. I am on WA Medicaid because I live in Wenatchee and maintain a home there. I have done the exercises that I had from the first time I ruptured L4-L5. To no avail. I stretch and use ibuprofen and Tylenol, not at the same time. But I am a mess. I was hoping someone, anyone could help or send me in the right direction. The only thing my Dr wants me to do is "rest" and muscle relaxants. I used the relaxants, but again, I am not getting better. My back pops, makes grinding noises and my hips hurt all the time. I have a pain that I think of as a tight violin string being strung too tight and rubbing over bone, which prevents me from walking upright and straight most of the time. I don't want to 'rest,' as I am afraid of losing my muscle tone. I have also over the last couple months developed a posture problem because it hurts massively to sit upright, and the only relief I get is to prop pillows and lay in strange positions. A yr ago, I could hike all over Black Bay, near my daughter's house. Now I do good just to climb up the stairs of her split entry home.
Please recommend something. Please, I am not asking for a miracle, and I am no stranger to pain, but this hurts more than having my daughter did!
...
read more »
June 14, 2010
Question:
Dear TAI Experts:
For the last 5 years I have been having pain in various forms in my hip, groin, and lower back area on my right. I’m 31, active, with no other real medical problems. I have found out through an osteopath that I have some hyper mobility in my joints, and I do have difficulty in getting a deep stretch in many of my muscles. The pain manifests in different ways. Often I have nerve pain around the side of my right hip and down my leg, which lasts 2-3 days when it occurs. When sleeping I can’t sleep on my right side for long, as it gets uncomfortable, and sometime if I sleep on my left side I have to place a pillow between my knees to stop a pain in my right groin area. Other times I have a cold, bruised feeling in my lower back where my spine meets my pelvis. It’s just off to the right of the spine and spreads right. Most of the time the muscle deep in my glut on the right is very sore and tender. I do find that working out the muscle around my hip, core, thigh, and glutes does help to stop the pain when I sleep. But it’s very easy to overdo the exercise and mess myself up for a few days. I’m a restaurant manager, so I’m on my feet all day and this problem makes working very painful at times. I wear good quality walking trainers at work and hardly ever wear heels, and the less active I am the worse it gets. I am driven crazy by this problem that doctors, osteopaths, and personal trainer scratch their heads at. Please help if you can.
...
read more »
