Neck stretch on the bike
05-01-19, 08:10 PM
#1
noodly appendage
Thread Starter
Neck stretch on the bike
I've been having a neck issue for about a month. I don't think its bike related, it seems to come and go regardless of my riding schedule. It feels like pain and tightness between my left shoulder blade and the base of my neck. I looked up what muscle it is, but I forgot and don't really care.
So I found a variety of neck stretches online and some help and some don't, but I figured out one that does the most good, and I can do it while riding. It goes like this:
Hold the top of the bars with the right hand and sit up straight. Put your left hand behind your back and on your right hip, palm facing backwards. Lean your head to the right until your right ear is almost touching your shoulder. Hold it for about 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side if you want.
Whenever I'm riding and start to feel a little tight, I do this stretch and the tightness goes away, maybe once or twice an hour.
Another one that helps a little is spinning your head so your chin is over your shoulder, then tilting the chin down towards the shoulder. Then reach up with the hand you are facing and pull down on the back of your head. I don't like to do this one on the road because you can't see where you are going.
So I found a variety of neck stretches online and some help and some don't, but I figured out one that does the most good, and I can do it while riding. It goes like this:
Hold the top of the bars with the right hand and sit up straight. Put your left hand behind your back and on your right hip, palm facing backwards. Lean your head to the right until your right ear is almost touching your shoulder. Hold it for about 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side if you want.
Whenever I'm riding and start to feel a little tight, I do this stretch and the tightness goes away, maybe once or twice an hour.
Another one that helps a little is spinning your head so your chin is over your shoulder, then tilting the chin down towards the shoulder. Then reach up with the hand you are facing and pull down on the back of your head. I don't like to do this one on the road because you can't see where you are going.
05-05-19, 07:21 AM
#2
Senior Member
05-05-19, 09:54 PM
#3
Me duelen las nalgas
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 13,513
Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel
Mentioned: 199 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4560 Post(s)
Liked 2,802 Times
in
1,800 Posts
Yup, I have chronic neck and shoulder pain and tightness from two injuries (I was hit by a car in 2001 and again in 2018). I'm back in physical therapy now for that.
I do a lot of stretching before and after every ride, and during rides. I'll do some minor stretching while riding as long as it doesn't hinder my view of the road. Usually I'll stop and stretch if it's bad enough to need to stretch at all.
But stretching alone didn't help. I had to get back in PT for resistance training, rollers, etc. And I'm waiting for insurance to authorize a massage therapist. I use rollers for massaging my legs but I can't reach the worst spots on my neck, back and shoulders.
I do a lot of stretching before and after every ride, and during rides. I'll do some minor stretching while riding as long as it doesn't hinder my view of the road. Usually I'll stop and stretch if it's bad enough to need to stretch at all.
But stretching alone didn't help. I had to get back in PT for resistance training, rollers, etc. And I'm waiting for insurance to authorize a massage therapist. I use rollers for massaging my legs but I can't reach the worst spots on my neck, back and shoulders.
