Neck Pain

[tonycollinet]

After two days of 20+ miles on the trike, I've woken up with slight upper spine pain (between top of shoulder blades) when sitting in the 'bent postition (eg stting back in the sofa)

Now I don't know this is 'bent related, but it feels similar to RSI type problems I had when I'd used a badly setup latptop for a week. Laptop was on a table, at too low a height, meaing I had to look downwards for the week. After that, it took weeks for the problem to go away.

If it is 'bent related, I don't want to make things worse - so, has anyone had similar issues, and if so, how did you resolve.

Thanks.

[stevedo]

FWIW, I used to get very similar aches in the first fews days of riding the Fujin after a layoff. Then the muscles seemed to adapt. I never resorted to a head-rest, but many people do.

How reclined is the seat? Can you raise the angle, even temporarily? You might need a head-rest?

The other thing that might help is some exercise to work the range of motion of the affected area. I do daily head turns and the like. I'm sure some knowledgeable person will be along with more specific advice. In the meantime, I'd maybe get a physio to take a look.

[BBJ]

A complex area!
Pilates taugh, learned, well could be a great help.
Always wondered about head/neck rests; I find my body gets more than enough jolting around, (even on a fully suspended QNT,) without the foce being directly transmitted to head and neck via a 'rest.'
Neutral spinal alignment is the key, and avoiding fixed positions, and moderation, and progressions rather than extreme exposure  and.........

[tonycollinet]

Well I went out again today. I decided to change the seat postion so that the neck angle would be different. I reclined it one notch (it is already only one notch down from max)

No pain at all while riding, and only very minor discomfort since I've got back. I'll see what it is like in the morning.

[Quint]

I rode my old Q-NT middle recline with a few kneck problems, my new 26" Q-NT from Kevin (@ D-tek) is on full seat recline with no kneck/shoulder problems at all, I do tend to ride with chin into chest as bi focals demand. Hope this helps

[tonycollinet]

Well after the ride yesterady, I woke this morning with no problems. I've been out today also - so until anything else happens, I'm going to put it down to sleeping awkwardly on Friday night.

[Tigerrr]

Neck rests! Excellent and will sort you out, as well as providing hours of entertainment - since they have to be fettled into precisely the right position.
Start with a basic carbon support (HP Velotechnik one is fine) bolted onto the seatback. Chuck out the silly pad that came with it - it is pointless.
Then take a kids swimming pool noodle - one of those long sausage jobs. Some glue, velcro, and sharp kitchen knife. The roll goes to support the nape of the neck, so that you can relax your neck back onto it from time to time. Bliss.
Careful cutting is needed to create a base for it that you velcro onto the seatback. Then you take a pair of black tights and put them over the assembly doubling a couple of times - creates a sleek black finished anatomically perfect neck rest that will save your strain on longer rides. I could not go more than 20 mins without it but with it I can ride all day.

[rower40]

Sorry to use the dreaded 6-letter word, but are you wearing a h*lm*t?

I find that I get a bit of neck-ache on the 'bent, because of the extra weight.  And a head/neck-rest is going to be no good for me, because it'll block the view out of my helmet's periscope mirror.

On the Electric Mountain trip, I took the lid off and hung it on the bars for the main zoom at R17 down the A470. (It was 2010's only sunny day in Wales.) Charlotte and Kim stayed behind me to save me from being hideously dropped; with no mirror on, I was paranoid that they'd stopped/turned off/run away and hidden.

[Tigerrr]

Sorry to use the dreaded 6-letter word, but are you wearing a h*lm*t?

I find that I get a bit of neck-ache on the 'bent, because of the extra weight.  And a head/neck-rest is going to be no good for me, because it'll block the view out of my helmet's periscope mirror.

On the Electric Mountain trip, I took the lid off and hung it on the bars for the main zoom at R17 down the A470. (It was 2010's only sunny day in Wales.) Charlotte and Kim stayed behind me to save me from being hideously dropped; with no mirror on, I was paranoid that they'd stopped/turned off/run away and hidden.

A good neckrest should be like a roll underneath the skull fitted into the bit where the neck joins the skull - quite low. Nape? - the bit you would chop if you wanted to kill quickly and silently. (which is why the noodle is fairly important)
 Miles below the helmet line. You can let your head roll back onto the top of it so it actually takes the weight off and eases the spine.  If you get it right it balances so you can let your neck completely relax and your head loll.
Personally I don't use a helmet on the recumbent - it would be better employed as an arse protector.