Neck pain is one of the most common complaints from cyclists. It’s no wonder: Cycling is an activity that requires you to maintain a position in which your back is flexed for long periods of time, placing great demands on your neck. Neck pain from riding your bike is a warning sign that your position on your bike or the bike itself is creating undue stress on your neck. The good news is that a few adjustments to your bike and your form can correct the problem. Whether you’re a casual rider or have dreams of riding in the Tour de France, you can take steps to avoid a stiff and sore neck when cycling. Here are three tips from spine specialist Michael Schaefer, MD. Most neck pain from cycling is muscle stiffness or soreness from sitting in an awkward position for a long period of time. Many people experience neck pain because they are improperly positioned on their bike. If you’re riding a road bike, your head is tipped upward, which can aggravate arthritis in the neck, create pinched nerves and contribute to spinal stenosis.

So check your form: Pull your stomach in toward your lower back, elongate your torso, slide the shoulder blades down your upper back and keep your chest slightly lifted while riding. Keep your chin tucked in and stretch your neck during relaxed parts of your ride. Make sure your helmet is properly fitted too. A helmet that isn’t properly adjusted also can affect comfort and neck stiffness. A well set-up bike will help avoid cycling injuries in the long run and will make you a better and more efficient cyclist. If you’re buying a new bicycle, fit is  important.  So try as many different bikes as you can and buy the one that feels the most comfortable. Then get the seat height, handlebar height, cleats and pedal alignment adjusted to fit your body. Even if you are riding an older bicycle that you’ve owned for years,  visit a local bike shop to have it properly fit for you. Most reputable shops often can make small adjustments that can help you feel more comfortable on your bike and get more out of your cycling efforts.

“The best way to avoid problems with your neck is appropriate adjustments of your handlebars and your saddle, to put your whole spine in a good position,” Dr. Schaefer says. You can treat the soreness in the back of your neck or shoulders with heat or ice. Ice is best if the area feels swollen or warm. It’s also a good idea to take a break from your bike until your neck pain diminishes. In the meantime, try some gentle stretches to make your neck feel better, Dr. Schaefer says. “Touching the chin to the chest and then the ear to each shoulder is a great way to loosen up these muscles,” Dr. Schaefer says. If you have neck pain that radiates all the way over the top of your head, numbness or tingling that shoots down the arms, or if the pain doesn’t gradually improve in about two weeks, it’s time to see a doctor.Many states have laws requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets. These laws can be a deciding factor in your ability to recover for head and neck injuries in a motorcycle accident.

Recovery depends on your state's motorcycle helmet law, the nature of your injuries, and whether you were wearing a helmet during the accident. used motorcycles for sale winston salem nc(To learn about liability for accidents when motorcycles ride between lanes, read Nolo's article Motorcycle Accidents: Lane Splitting.)motorcycle gear in roseville Evidence overwhelmingly suggests that wearing a motorcycle helmet significantly reduces the incidence of head injuries in accidents. motorcycle for sale in chilliwackAccording to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates, for every 100 motorcyclists killed in a crash while not wearing a helmet, 37 would have survived if they had been wearing a helmet. atv for sale dublin

And that doesn't even count the enormous reduction in non-fatal injuries achieved by helmets. motorcycle gear tallahasseeAll in all, these are overwhelming numbers.motorcycle dealer in rocky mount nc For this reason, the vast majority of states require at least some motorcycle riders to wear helmets. motorcycle for sale craigslist rochester mnIn some states, all riders must wear helmets. In others, only motorcycle riders under a certain age must wear helmets. Only two states don't have any helmet law at all: Illinois and Iowa. If you are a motorcyclist in an accident, your state's helmet law may play a large role in whether you can recover for any resulting head and neck injuries.

Here are some possible scenarios and what your chances of recovery are in each one. If you were wearing a motorcycle helmet but did not sustain head or neck injuries, the helmet is irrelevant to your injury claim. However, it doesn't hurt to mention the fact that you were wearing a helmet -- it may help show that you are a responsible rider. Likewise, if you were not wearing a helmet but did not sustain head or neck injuries, the fact that you did not wear a helmet is legally irrelevant. This is true even if the law in your state requires you to wear a helmet. If you were wearing a helmet and still suffered head or neck injuries, the helmet is important to your claim. It shows that your injuries were not made worse by your own carelessness. It also shows how much worse your injuries could have been, and therefore how dangerous the other driver's actions were, had you not been wearing a helmet. If you were not wearing a helmet and suffered head or neck injuries, it may be difficult to recover for your injuries -- even if your state does not require you to wear a helmet.

If your failure to wear a helmet contributed to the severity of your injuries, you may be found to be "comparatively negligent" -- meaning you might be found to be partially responsible for your own injuries. (To learn more about comparative negligence, read Nolo's article Proving Fault in Personal Injury Accidents: General Rules.) Insurance adjusters will likely produce an overwhelming array of documentation demonstrating that helmets usually significantly reduce head injuries. You must then persuade the insurance adjuster that you would have suffered head or neck injuries even if you were wearing a helmet. If the insurance adjuster believes a helmet would have reduced your injuries, then your compensation will be reduced accordingly. If your state requires you to wear a helmet and you sustain a head injury while not wearing a helmet, it will be extremely difficult to recover damages for your head injury. (You may still be able to recover for other injuries, however.) The fact that your state has a helmet law automatically establishes your comparative negligence.