Saddle holder that pivot turn left/right

[owlgirl]

I have a cannondale synapse which i love. i have had the hardest time getting the fit on it to avoid right knee pain, but i feel like i'm really getting close, which makes me happy. I have had a pro fit, but we made huge adjustments, and after i got used to them, i went back to the fitter for a few more tweaks. The fitter has a one month come back policy, and i am out of this window, but I might end up having to go back...
now, i feel like everything is just right, except that the top of my left hamstring (i think that is what it is, maybe it is actually the ischeal tuberosity?)) is getting too much pressure put on it after about an hour on the bike. My PT says that sometimes my left leg is a little longer than my right because my pelvis gets out of alignment, so I thought I could make a little adjustment by myself - I thought it would be ok to turn my saddle a little bit to the right and that might help that little area of hamstring that is getting hurt. However, my Synapse has some crazy type of seatpost that won't pivot in the left/right direction!!!! I can't turn the seat tube because it's tear shaped. Has anyone else had this problem? what can I do? Am I going to have to address this pain in some other way? Or buy a new piece of equipment?

[indysteel]

I've corrected my leg length discrepancy with a shim underneath my cleat.

Everybody is different, but it seems to me that trying to address this with your saddle will just result in problems elsewhere. I know what happens when my saddle is off kilter. It's not pretty.

[owlgirl]

The leg length discrepancy is weird. My PT checks it every time, and sometimes it's off, and sometimes it's not. He says it's not very bad. It seems like it'd be hard to correct if it shifts. But still, something uneven is happening, and I just thought it would be nice if I could try this.

[moonfroggy]

did your pt offer any exercises to help your pelvis? because when i saw a pt before one of my hips was way higher than the other and she showed me exercises to do to help and i am wondering if something like that could help you?

[owlgirl]

yeah, I have been in PT for my knee so many times, and I think at this point I am doing every exercise known to god and man for my hips, glutes, quads, abs, back etc. I didn't start doing hip exercises till this last round of PT(started in april) and i think it is helping with the leg length discrepancy, but I went to PT this week, and I was in alignment, and rode the following day and got asymmetric pain. I guess i should have cross posted in the health forum, but I am really wondering if there's a way to tilt my seat that anyone knows of.

[KnottedYet]

Pelvic shifts don't need strengthening exercises so much as just a simple motion you do that puts the innominate bones back in alignment with the sacrum.

If your PT doesn't know how to teach you these very simple and basic techniques, ask him to recommend a NIOMPT, Great Lakes, or McKenzie certified therapist.

It is just ridiculous that a PT would recognize the problem, but not teach you how to take 10 seconds to realign yourself!

ETA: somewhere on TE I gave instructions for two PNF/MET moves to help correct pelvic obliquity, which Biciclista found very helpful. I can't find them (maybe 2 or 3 years ago?), but I'm still searching.

ETA #2: here's a pretty good thread. Not the one I was looking for, but still pretty good. http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=36464

[owlgirl]

Hi everyone, thanks for the advice so far. Knott and Moon, my PT did give me a re-alignment protocol that involves using a broomstick and putting one knee 'pit' on the stick, with the other side of the broomstick right above my knee, then trying to "break the stick". I guess it works? it never seems to fix my knee pain.

I actually stumbled upon your SI joint thread awhile back. The flapping doesn't do anything. The Cobra feels kind of good, especially if i move my hips a little bit while up in cobra. Somewhere, and I don't see it on this thread but it was in response to another SI problem, someone's PT gave an exercise where you lifted your knees to your chest and twisted your pelvis. when I do this to the left side, all is fine but when I twist to the right, it is always way tighter, and sometimes i get a massive pop that releases my leg down several mms or even inches. it's quite frightening. It's one of those pops that doesn't hurt, but doesn't feel like I should keep doing it.

But I feel like I need to clarify, my back and SI do not hurt. I just get pain on one side of my seat when riding (and of course my right knee is never 100%, but feels pretty great in this current setup i've got on my bike. i still can't run though). I know it is some kind of asymmetry problem because there are alot of things in my right hip that are really tight. If I do the classic quad stretch, I don't stretch my quad, I stretch something in my back that is close to where I think my SI joint is. I once strained my right groin, and I've got a lot of scar tissue there I think, and when I do a straddle stretch to the right, especially when i grab my right foot and rotate it internally, it's a pretty intense groin stretch (the left side is fine). Pidgin is intense on the right side too. I think I get fore/aft pelvic tilt instead of up down. I have baffled many bike fitters and PTs with the way that I get messed up, and I feel that my current PT is really good, but still calls me a puzzle. Do you even encounter puzzles, or is he lacking knowledge somewhere?

[nscrbug]

owlgirl...I have a Cdale Synapse, too...and I completely understand your frustration with that crazy seatpost that they use!!! I was wanting to make some saddle adjustments (just recently got a Brooks Team Pro saddle and wanted to experiment with saddle angle) only to discover that it was nearly impossible to do. I went back to the shop where I bought the bike from and asked my fitter how to change the saddle angle. Even he said that it was a major PITA to do, but that it could be done with certain tools and some muscle....eeeks! Needless to say, I haven't bothered trying.

So, while I can't really address your leg length discrepancy (I have one, too..FWIW)...I'm certainly with ya regarding those tear-shaped seatposts. I had one of those on my previous bike (Cervelo) too...you'd think I would have learned from that.

[KnottedYet]

I have baffled many bike fitters and PTs with the way that I get messed up, and I feel that my current PT is really good, but still calls me a puzzle. Do you even encounter puzzles, or is he lacking knowledge somewhere?

You've been going to the guy for 4 months, and you're not better yet. (you said since April, so I'm going by that.)

I have to explain myself and go over my entire treatment plan with my supervisor if my patients aren't better, happy, and healed within 6 visits. If I'm not seeing significant improvement after 3 visits I have to bring the patient chart to care conference.

There are different philosophies at different clinics.

BTW, the thing you are stretching that you feel at your SI is called "iliopsoas." And a pop that corrects you and doesn't hurt is probably good.

[owlgirl]

Nscrbug, it is really frustrating!!! I wish it was easier to adjust!

Knotted, I'm a student and have student health insurance. I think it's very inefficient and annoying. I got injured in march, had to wait 3 weeks to see a dr. and 2 more weeks to get into PT. I only go once every 3 weeks because i get assigned strengthening exercises, and I'm under the impression that it takes awhile to build muscles, so I do them for 3 weeks and go back and get re-assessed. I am almost out of alloted $$ for PT anyway. I think my PT is good, because I've made way more progress with him than one I was assigned to the first time I got injured. I wish I had a great one like you. One day I will get a real job and have real health insurance, not crappy insurance like this! sorry this has turned into a rant. On the bike front, I think I will just go back to my fitter.

[KnottedYet]

It takes 6-8 weeks to change tissue (strengthen or lengthen).

It takes 6-8 seconds to fix a derangement. You have a derangement. The strengthening and lengthening helps maintain you in your corrected position, but first you have to correct yourself.

Ask the PT to show you how to fix yourself. He must know these basic moves. There are a gazillion for the area you are having trouble with. He just needs to look at it until he figures out which one you need. (The scissor he has you doing is nice, but it sounds like you need flex-rotate more. Ask him to show you.)

I am certainly NOT a great therapist! Pika and Wahine are the great ones, and I'm sorry they aren't on TE much anymore.

I'm guessing you lock your knees a lot. Try stopping that. Unlock your knees. Tuck your butt under. Pull your lower belly flat. You will probably feel your tight hip flexors trying to force you to pop your butt out and flop your belly forward, fight them. Walking around in corrected posture instead of doing the Betty Boop is the best and fastest way I know of to lengthen tight hip flexors and relieve knee stress. Stretching and strengthening is fine, but if you don't address the habitual positioning issues, the changes don't stay.

[owlgirl]

Thanks again Knotted, I will ask about the flex-rotate. I am a former knee-locker, but a PT from several years ago broke me of that one. I am still a Betty Booper, but I've been working on pulling in the low belly and not sticking out my butt more lately. It's hard and I can only do it for a few minutes before I need to rest, but I can do it for a lot longer than I initially could.

[artifactos]

I personally understand your desire to tilt your nose to the side a little. No matter how perfectly aligned your spine and pelvis are, there is a good chance that the bones themselves are not perfectly straight, since all human skeletons have some slight variations due to growth and development. All the PT in the world might not get you comfortable on your bike without the bike accomodating your body somehow.

That said, I'm not really sure what you should do - I might ask my LBS owner if he has any ideas when I see him for a ride tomorrow.

[KnottedYet]

If your fitter can't help you, contact this guy: Chris Robinson, Robinson Wheelworks, San Leandro. http://www.robinsonww.com/

He has put together some great work-arounds for various TE'ers. (including treating my $80 used bike with love and respect and figuring out how to solve some funky problems with it.)

[owlgirl]

Thanks for the recommendation and all of the help again