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May 2011

Competitor Magazine, August 2010

At the Clean Air Ride, in Inverness, FL.

Chicago Athlete Magazine, September 2007

Chicago Athlete Magazine, May 2007
Q: I've been cycling more now that it's nice out and now I have this pain just above my shoulder blades. What am I doing wrong?

A: Pain in the middle of the upper back is incredibly common, especially in cyclists who are hunched over for extended periods.

Most likely, the culprit is weakness in your scapular muscle (the muscle that connects from the middle of the shoulder to your spine), says Dr. Paul Marando, D.C., C.C.S.P. "It's one of the most common things I see," Marando says. When a muscle is over-fatigued or overworked, it spasms. This spasming not only hurts, but it can pull on a joint. "Most of the time it's both the joints and the muscle," says Marando.

Visit a chiropractor who has experience treating athletes in order to find a specific diagnosis. A good chiropractor will put you through range-of-motion tests and orthopedic tests to reproduce where the pain is coming from. "We would look at how you are riding and how you are positioned," says Marando. "Especially hunched over on your bike, you tend to fatigue or weaken."

There are several exercises that Marando recommends that you can do to strengthen the scapular muscle if it is determined that scapular weakness is causing your pain. Here's one: Lie on your belly and extend your arms thumbs up in a T formation with your body. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, and keep your shoulders themselves back and down instead of hunching up to your neck.

Another cause could be weakness in the neck muscles. Make sure you're not jutting your chin forward on the bike.

Chicago Athlete Magazine, March 2007
Sacrificing too many rest days can wear your body out, says Paul Marando, D.C., a chiropractor at Physicians Plus in Chicago. Overtraining starts an unhealthy cycle in your body. "Give your muscles a chance to adapt and grow back stronger than before," says Marando. "Sooner or later it will catch up with you."

Recovery workouts aren't limited to easy runs. Cross Training with activities that use different muscle groups like swimming or cycling are the best ways to maintain your fitness level as you give the muscles you use repetitively a chance to recharge, according to Marando. "Doing the same activities over and over again doesn't challenge your body to adapt. You end up mentally and physically stale."

Chicago Athlete Magazine, September 2006

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