I've identified the reason of my shoulder pain.....I think

[Spoked Wheels]

As the thread title indicates, I'm having problems with shoulder pain....

It's only in the last few days that I'm seriously thinking this is due to my cycling.

Until October I rode my summer bike without any issues and then I began to use my winter bike that has never been a problem in the past. Around that time also my daughter asked me to start riding with her, only gentle rides along the promenade..... it was then that I started riding my brother's old hybrid (Carrera Subway with flat bars) and then I did a few 20 milers in November but my winter bike was still the main bike up to that point. During December I began to ride the hybrid with flat bars only and I began to have this shoulder pain that I thought was to do with me sleeping in a poor position. It got worse really quickly than I needed an injection 2 days before Christmas. Since then I've been taking unti-inflammatory tables and I'm still in pain.

I had a rest for about 5 days and although the pain didn't go away, I felt better. Last Sat I went on my usual club ride and I rode the hybrid again.... (I've equipped this bike for touring so I thought I'd practice with loaded panniers, etc). It was just over 50 miles and when I came back I could feel discomfort from the shoulder area.... sitting on the sofa just the weight of the arm made me feel the arm was going to come off from its socket. Moving the arm backward or even trying to reach for something sideways would bring excruciating pain that would spread from the shoulder to the elbow.

On Saturday afternoon I seriously suspected the bike as the source of my shoulder problem.... I compared measurements with other bikes and they were all about the same... so on Sunday I went out on a ride just to analyse my position on the bike..... my position feels comfortable, there is a very slight bend at the elbow when my hands are on the corner of the handlebars and bar extensions which is where I keep my hands mostly. I thought that I could probably do with a 1cm shorter stem (my brother is 2cm taller so that would make sense) but I moved the saddle forward 1cm for now, position still feels good but the biggest difference comes from the width of the bars, my road bikes are 44cm wide and this flat bar bike is 61cm wide and since I hold the bars mostly at the corner of bar and bar extension, I'm actually using the full width. So at this point I'm suspecting the extra width being the source of the problem.......

My MTB has a much shorter stem and wide bars but I've never do more than 10 miles on that and I only use it occasionally, that would explain why I've never had a problem....

Does it make sense to you my findings?

BTW, my doctor, as brilliant as he is he is not one of those that try to find what the problem is.... he always starts with take these tablets for xyz days and come back to see me if they don't work. So I'm sure if I figure the problem myself I would save a lot of time and pain

 

[mjr]

I compared measurements with other bikes and they were all about the same...

OK, that's a bit unusual: hybrids and road bikes can have very different riding positions, so I'm surprised if the right fit on a road bike is the right fit on a hybrid unless it's basically a flat bar road bike. For example, I'm pretty upright on my roadster (I trouble low branches) while by comparison I feel like I'm almost doing a Superman impersonation on my road bike!

I moved the saddle forward 1cm for now

Rarely a good idea but I understand why.

the biggest difference comes from the width of the bars

Yes, 44cm to 61cm is quite a bit. What's the difference in distance between saddle clamp and usual hand position? Could you get a closer distance by mounting another set of bar ends inside the grips temporarily, or are the controls in the way?

BTW, my doctor, as brilliant as he is he is not one of those that try to find what the problem is.... he always starts with take these tablets for xyz days and come back to see me if they don't work.

I hate those. Doesn't sound brilliant. Any other doctors in that practice who you could see who might refer you to a specialist if needed?

 

[Spoked Wheels]

There's another one that is pretty good but it's harder to with the lottery than to book an appointment with him

 

[Oldfentiger]

I am not a doctor, but those symptoms sound like it could be a shoulder impingement. I had this a few years ago on my right shoulder, and now it looks like my left is going the same way.
My point is, I think you should insist on a proper investigation by a specialist.

 

[ayceejay]

There are two items here - the cause and the cure - to help with both try the self diagnosis in the link below since your GP is useless as most are in this field. If you know what the problem is a bit more specifically the just 'shoulder pain' you will be better able to fix it and the cause may be more evident.
http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/how-to-self-diagnose-your-shoulder-pain

 

[Spoked Wheels]

There are two items here - the cause and the cure - to help with both try the self diagnosis in the link below since your GP is useless as most are in this field. If you know what the problem is a bit more specifically the just 'shoulder pain' you will be better able to fix it and the cause may be more evident.
http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/how-to-self-diagnose-your-shoulder-pain

Thanks for the link, that looks good. I'll the wife to play doctors and see what we find....

Thanks again

 

[Kajjal]

I am not a doctor, but those symptoms sound like it could be a shoulder impingement. I had this a few years ago on my right shoulder, and now it looks like my left is going the same way.
My point is, I think you should insist on a proper investigation by a specialist.

Simple test for this is with your arm straight raise it in an arc to the side towards your head. If it is painful once you get above shoulder height that is a likely cause, especially if it clicks. Also reaching to a high up shelf to lift something in front of you will be painful.

This will not be corrected by a bike fit as it is an internal inflammation that needs proper medical treatment. Either way if it petsists you need proper medical investigation.

 

[vickster]

I have similar symptoms, painful arc and clicking. I have a posterior labral tear, seen clearly in MRI and being fixed mid March. For me, the instability causes biceps tendonitis, which leads to arm pain

See a sports physio, followed by a referral to a shoulder orthopod if required

 

[Spoked Wheels]

OK, that's a bit unusual: hybrids and road bikes can have very different riding positions, so I'm surprised if the right fit on a road bike is the right fit on a hybrid unless it's basically a flat bar road bike.

The effective top tube length on all bikes is between 56.6 to 59. The position on the bikes is different because the saddle position is different and the stem length is also a bit different.

I still think the bike bar setup is a suspect. I've been off the bike for nearly 48 hours and I feel better. I can bring the pain back by stretching my arm in the direction where I know it would hurt.

I have an appointment to see the physio and in the main time I will adjust the bar setting a bit

 

[Scoosh]

I'm with @vickster on this one - see a sports physio. You will probably need to go private for it but the difference I have found is that an NHS physio will restore you to 'working' condition ie you can raise your arm, do all the basic movements without pain, so all is well .....

... except you want to be able to ride your different bikes for x many hours and they are frankly too busy to be able to get you to that level. For your goals, you need the sports physio, who knows how to get you back to what you want to do and who can give you deep sports massage - which most NHS physios either don't do or don't have time to do - and lots of seriously hard work exercises.

NHS physios did wonderfully for Mrs Scoosh when she seriously smashed up her shoulder a few years ago but couldn't take her to the level she wanted to get to - and is now at. Sports physio is definitely a step up in results, IMHO.


This is in absolutely no way a denigration of the NHS physio service - they do amazingly well with what they have and who they have.

 

[bonsaibilly]

First step would be get advice from professionals not cycling bluffers on here. But my advice would parallel wheel buying advice. Start with the grips which are cheap to get a good pair, and get someone to saw off the handlebar to say 540 mm.

 

[vickster]

First step would be get advice from professionals not cycling bluffers on here.

That's what people have advised

 

[bonsaibilly]

Yes. Yes it is.

 

[ayceejay]

First step would be get advice from professionals not cycling bluffers on here. But my advice would parallel wheel buying advice. Start with the grips which are cheap to get a good pair, and get someone to saw off the handlebar to say 540 mm.

I don't see any contradiction there at all.
I assume you are calling me a bluffer and then offer advice that is totally ridiculous I hope that you take your own advice and seek professional advice and take your sawn off handlebars with you - robber

 

[bonsaibilly]

I don't see any contradiction there at all.
I assume you are calling me a bluffer and then offer advice that is totally ridiculous I hope that you take your own advice and seek professional advice and take your sawn off handlebars with you - robber

Aaaand... there goes another one completely missing the irony and self-deprecation. What *has* happened to the British sense of humour? BB