Cycling pain: when it is the bike and when it is you
Cycling has grown steadily across Casey, on the road and on the trails around Casey Fields. It is genuinely low-impact, which is why so many people move to it after running injuries — but the sustained fixed position creates its own set of problems.
Neck and upper back
Holding an extended neck to look up the road while the trunk is flexed forward is the defining cycling posture, and it loads the base of the skull and the mid-back continuously. Pain building through a long ride, or headaches afterwards, usually points here. See neck pain.
Knees, and saddle height
Pain at the front of the knee often relates to a saddle that is too low; pain behind the knee often relates to one that is too high. This is one of the few areas in musculoskeletal care where a simple equipment adjustment genuinely resolves the problem, which is why we check the bike before prescribing exercises.
Low back
Sustained flexion on the bike, particularly with limited hip mobility or a stiff thoracic spine, pushes the load into the lumbar spine. Riders who cannot rotate the pelvis forward at the hip will do it at the lower back instead.
Hands and the ulnar nerve
Numbness in the little and ring fingers after a long ride is compression of the ulnar nerve at the wrist, usually from sustained pressure on the bars. Changing hand position regularly and adjusting bar angle resolves most cases — our elbow and wrist pain page has more.
Bike fit versus body
The honest answer is that it is usually both. A position that is fine for an hour becomes a problem at three, and a body with limited hip and thoracic mobility tolerates a less aggressive position. We assess both rather than blaming one.
What a first appointment looks like
We start with what actually happened and what the demands of your sport are, then assess the injured area alongside the joints and muscles above and below it — because the painful structure is often not the limiting one. You get a diagnosis, a realistic timeframe, and a plan that accounts for your training and match schedule rather than assuming you can stop. If we think you need imaging or another practitioner, we will say so at that first visit rather than after six sessions.
Booking in
We are at 5/6-8 Langmore Lane, Berwick, with street parking directly outside and same-week appointments most weeks. Initial consultations are 60 minutes and $149, with private health rebates processed on the spot via HICAPS. No referral is required, and we also work with WorkCover, DVA and Medicare care plans where they apply.
Book an initial consultation at RISE Sports & Spinal in Berwick. Clear diagnosis, hands-on treatment, and a plan that actually gets you better.
