So, after three massages at Mayhem, one of which including the therapist kneeling on the bench to get enough weight to loosen certain back muscles, I am strongly advised to egt some care and look after myself.

While I have one recurring problem (lower back pain related to various glute muscles), on the whole I'm like evetry other regular cyclist and just suffer permanently tired legs.

So, is physio *just* for fixing, or does it work for long term maintenance? Is massage just for loosening muscles, but has no long term fixing element?

Cheers

OMITN (sitting at a desk with an aching back)

I would have thought a few trips to the physio will not only help with the problem in the short term but also in the long term due to various stretches, strength and conditioning work you should be doing on a daily basis.

trip to sports physio and a foam roller.

Physio for a diagnosis and advice on what needs strengthening and/or loosening, then do the exercise your'e given and get sports massage as on going treatment. See physio if things aren't improving. That's what I've done in the past, mainly because physios are £30 for 30 mins but I can get the sports massage for £20 for as long as it takes.

Depends on the problem really, money no object it might be better to see a physio all the time for more complicated problems, mine were all things that just needed diagnosis, then treatment, rather than ongoing diagnosis/input from a physio.

Cool. Cheers people. All that makes good sense.

Thanks! 😀

I used to visit a sports masseur for a specific injury but found him to invasive so I have started going to a holistic masseur and having a deep tissue massage. This type of massage is a works a bit deeper than a purely relaxing massage and can aid in prevention and treatment of muscular dysfunctions. Plus it is cheaper than than the sports masseur and physio.

l_l – interesting. A colleague moonlights as an holisitic massage therapist, so I'll ask her view.

I think I also need to do more than just ride bikes – 250 miles a week is great for being good at riding bikes, but not so good at ensuring my body remains in some sort of balance….

It all depends on the masseur IMO. Mrs BS is a Sports and remedial masseur and fixes most of the problems I used to go and see an ostio for before she was qualified.

Most of the cyclists she sees, and she see's a lot as she works for British Cycling MTB squad, have the same underlying problems, tight TFL, glutes, hamstrings. all which lead to back/knee pain eventually. having some remedial massage on a regular basis can reduce the damage, at least it does for me.

OMIN haven't you just switched to a much longer commute? How much stretching do you do when you reach the office in the morning/get home at night?

Seeing a physio has done wonders for my knee pain which was basically down to not stretching enough/properly. He's given me a programme of stretches and core strength exercises and I try and do them after every significant ride. Now no pain in my knees and I consistently feel like I can push myself harder than I could before.

Probably worth starting with the phsyio and seeing what they say.

HD – I have, yes, though bad back has been around for a while (hurts more the less I ride) and was just hurting generally from Mayhem (mainly because I don't ride my MTB often enough).

B-S – that's interesting to know. I suspect what I really need is (1) physio/massage and (2) a list of decent stretches to do, which I can then do around my riding.

IMO physios are good for an all round assesment of problems and coming up with solutions (ie stretches, exercises, ultrasound). Masseurs vary widely from gentle relaxation to deep sports / remedial but some will also help with exercise and stretching etc. A good masseur should be able to work on soft tissue to correct underlying problems. I would use a sports or remedial masseur for both corrective and maintenance whilst going to a physio for more major issues if not corrected. BTW I qualified in remedial massage in 2004 so have a slight bias.

Go to a Physio they are trained in massage too. The reverse cannot be said of a masseuse.

Interesting point of view – you'll find that a significant percentage of attendees on the "proper" (Sportrs Massage Association -SMA and Institute of Sports and Remedial Massage – ISRM) accredited ourses are actually physios and Osteos.
Don't dismiss a Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist too quickly is all I would say – just make sure that the one you use is properly qualified and fully insured.

I've had physio post op on my leg for about 12 months on and off – after the first 2 sessions with the physio basically all it turned into (by the physio's own admission) was a very expensive massage !

£35 for 35 minutes at physio plays:
£30 for an hour for a sports massage therapist!

If you have health insurance paying then go for a physio, if not then shop around for whatever gives you the most for your money. Keep in mind though that treatment with physios or massage therapists (the Sports and remedial ones don't like masseuse apparently). May need to be regular to start with to feel the difference.

problem I found was after seeing a non-chartered physio (advertised as a sports physio / injuries clinic) was that my GP totally disregared the sports physio report on my condition (after a few months of treatment) and put me straight back in a (long) queue to see a NHS 'real' physio