Pain in the neck!

[sonicmolasses]

I went out last week for the first time this year and almost instantly got a sharp, specific pain in the lower left side of my neck where it meets the shoulder. I realized that the pain was familiar-- I was getting it a lot last year too. It remained (lessening) for nearly five days!

My bike was fitted when I got it five years ago and I haven't messed with it. I can't figure out why it's only one side either.

Any ideas?

[mimitabby]

you need to strengthen the muscles. You probably have life long habits that have contributed to this long before you got onto the bike.

So you are weaker on one side than the other. Postural exercises would help, strengthening your core would help too.

Many who are wiser will answer shortly.
m

[DarcyInOregon]

Don't forget that there are disks in the neck. You can get arthritis in the neck and the disks wear down, or a ruptured disk, and an area will get inflamed and impact on a nerve cluster - resulting in pain. You have to think if you might have a pre-existing condition that is being aggravated by wearing a helmet and holding your head up at a different angle than normal. If you really think it is just a cramp or muscle ache, then no big deal. But if there is the possibility of something going wrong in the neck, then you should see your doctor and explain your symptoms.

Darcy

[Kalidurga]

Darcy makes a very good point. I've had a similar situation recently. For the past few years, I've frequently gotten stiff/sore shoulders both sitting at my desk and when riding my bike. In January, a stressful day at work triggered a very painful muscle spasm in my right trapezius (where the shoulder meets the neck) that affected my arm. I ended up getting x-rays and going to a chiropractor, who found that I had some serious mis-alignment in my cervical (neck) and thoracic (mid-back) vertabrae. As a result, I'd picked up postural habits that actually excacerbated the issue. Over the course of my treatment, I've learned a good bit about what Darcy's referring to regarding discs, inflammation, and how the nerves can be affected.

Two months of chiropractic treatments have made such a difference. At this point, it's been weeks since my shoulders last stiffened up while sitting at my desk. I haven't been cycling since December (which is just as well, considering the muscle spasm issues), but I had a fitting this week and noticed a significant difference in how my neck and shoulders felt while I was pedaling the fitting bike.

As Darcy suggested, be careful in deciding whether what you experienced was just a muscle ache or something possibly spinal-related. It couldn't hurt to talk to your doctor to find out whether it's something that needs to be treated. And, either way, the body does change over time and as we use it in different ways. It's never a bad idea to have your bike re-fit periodically to adjust for those changes.