Get an in-depth look at the challenges and possibilities for PTs and PTAs working with bicyclists by attending "Physical Therapist Management of the Bicyclist" Oct. 22-23. Erik Moen, PT, author of this post, will help you understand the multiple skills involved in helping bicyclists address gait problems, overuse injuries, and other issues. The presentation is part of the APTA Centennial Lecture Series and will be available as both an in-person and online event.

It was the great Dani Rojas (of Ted Lasso fame) who energetically stated, "Bicycling is life!" or something like that.

Bicycling is life, bicycling is movement. Bicycling is exercise, bicycling is transportation. Bicycling is rehabilitation. Bicycling is healthy.

And consideration of the bicyclist in the physical therapist practice continuum is crucial to the health of bicyclists.

Let's face it, the human body was not meant to ride a bicycle. Bicyclists may have movement dysfunctions that lead to positional and postural intolerances and overuse injuries. Hardly makes a person love bicycling.

We take the time to study walking and running, and their associated dysfunctions, quite a bit. We assess people on treadmills, hallways, and flights of stairs. But did you know there's also “bicycling gait,” just like walking and running gait? We need to pay attention.

Effective management of the bicyclist requires the bicyclist to bring their equipment to the office for appropriate assessment. "Root cause" for bicycling-related dysfunction is best discovered through this process. Evaluating and treating the bicyclist who has experienced bicycling-related overuse issues without seeing their equipment is treating them incompletely and can be considered wasteful care.