Cycling is becoming more and more popular. In England, 47 per cent of people aged 5 and over owned or had access to a bicycle in 2020, an increase compared to the 3-year average of 42 percent for 2017-19. And for good reason. Cycling is an excellent way to keep fit and enjoy the outdoors. However, injuries are sometimes unavoidable with cycling – below, we explore the most common ones.
Knee pain
Knee injuries are a common problem for cyclists. Although the sport isn’t as taxing on your knees as running, there’s still wear and tear accrued from the peddling motion. Over time, cycling can wear your meniscus down which can give you long-term discomfort. Similarly, if your quadriceps are weak this can put a lot of pressure on your knee tendons, leading to further discomfort.
Shoulder injuries
If you fall from the bike, it’s common to land on your shoulder. This can result in a broken collarbone or damage to your rotator cuff – both will put you out of action for a long time.
Neck and back
The natural posture for cycling puts a lot of pressure on your neck and back – especially when you’re leaning forward. If you’re suffering from chronic pain in either area, it’s worth getting it checked out. Avoid cycling neck pain by adjusting your bike fit or strengthening the deep neck extensors.
Achilles
The peddling motion can also affect your Achilles – particularly when your calf muscles are tight. This usually results in Achilles tendonitis. It’s a common injury that will usually require a few weeks of rest.
Cycling on the road
Unfortunately, cycling on the road can result in accidents. In 2019, 16,884 cyclists were injured in reported road accidents: 3,333 were seriously injured and 100 cyclists were killed. As more and more people take up cycling, this figure is likely to increase. Sometimes it’s just misfortune and even the most experienced and safe cyclists can’t avoid injury. But it’s always worth wearing your helmet and following the highway code in order to lower your risk.
Road collisions
The most severe injuries occur during road collisions: either from hitting cars or falling at high speed. These can result in traumatic head or facial injuries that require long-term recovery. On top of this, you can suffer from broken bones and severe back injuries too. In any of these scenarios, you should seek medical help immediately.
Cycling injuries can be difficult to recover from. If you’ve suffered a bad head injury that wasn’t your fault, then you could consider making a claim for head injury compensation. By speaking to an experienced lawyer you can have peace of mind that someone is working towards helping you get the compensation you need to help your recovery.
