The road into town
Helmet on, shoulders up near your ears.
The helmet goes on. Your shoulders creep up. Your neck holds your head still against the wind, all the way to town.
The people in these stories are illustrations, not real clients.
The moment
The helmet goes on and your shoulders creep up. Your neck holds your head still against the wind, past the matatu stage, past the market, all the way to town. At the end of the day you rub the back of your neck without noticing you are doing it.
What is usually going on
The muscles at the back of the neck and across the top of the shoulders work all the time to hold your head up. When you stay in one position for hours, with the head forward and the shoulders lifted, those muscles tire and tighten. The ache often arrives in the evening, not on the bike. Vibration from the road, a heavy helmet and gripping the handlebars all add to it. Drivers, tailors, mamas carrying loads on the back and anyone who looks down at a phone for long hours feel something similar.
Now
Evening neck ache, a stiff turn of the head when you reverse, and headaches at the base of the skull.
Our aim
Riding or driving without the ache following you home, and turning your head to check behind you without a wince.
What we do about it
We check how your neck and shoulder blades move and where the tension sits. We use hands-on treatment and, where it suits you, medical massage to ease the tight muscles. We also give you a few movements you can do at a stage or a stop, and a simple change to how you hold your shoulders.
One thing to try today
The chin tuck
- Sit or stand tall.
- Gently draw your chin straight back, as if making a double chin.
- Hold for three slow breaths.
- Do five.
Stop if you feel tingling down your arm or dizziness.
This page is for general information and is not a substitute for personal medical advice.
