Andy Pruitt's
Medical Guide for Cyclists

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by Andrew L. Pruitt, Ed.D. with Fred Matheny Contents Excerpt Delivery

$12.95 eBook RBR Publishing Co. 79 pages 27 photos PDF file size: 981 KB

READER REVIEWS

• "One of the most useful books I have seen in a long time ... an easy-to-understand read that comes from an author with passion and great knowledge. It's a must for everyone ... a little gem to keep you on the road."

--Phil Liggett, voice of the Tour de France

• "Last year, I ended up with pain on the exterior side of my left knee. Andy Pruitt's book helped me find the problem, and now my knee is back to normal. The book also helped me find the solution to my 'hot feet' problem."

--Michel L., roadie

• "This book is invaluable for physicians who hope to be able to provide appropriate care to serious cyclists, and will be extremely useful to cyclists themselves who want a better understanding of medical problems they may encounter."

--Prentice Steffen, MD, FAAEM, pro team physician
 

• "If you love to ride and want to continue for your whole life, the information in this book is priceless."

--Chris Carmichael, Lance Armstrong's coach

President, Carmichael Training Systems

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ANDY PRUITT is arguably the most experienced bike fit authority in world. For 30 years, he has studied how the human body should sit on a bicycle for maximum comfort and power – and  minimum risk of injury.

There’s no quirk of anatomy affecting bike fit that Pruitt hasn’t seen . . . no fit-related cycling injury has passed him unnoticed.

This long-needed eBook is Pruitt's first, created around his duties as director of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in Boulder, CO.

Co-author is Fred Matheny, whose RBR eBooks include Basic Training for Roadies, Off-Season Training for Roadies, Spring Training for Roadies and Supercharge Your Training and his Complete Book of Road Bike Training that put them all under one cover.

In this excerpt from Chapter 5: Knees, Andy Pruitt tells how to diagnose one of the eight knee injuries his eBook covers in depth. Following this discussion, he provides expert guidelines for treating various types of tendon problems.

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EXCERPT: Patellar Tendinitis

DESCRIPTION

Tendinitis is inflammation of a tendon, usually from overuse. In an inflammation, microscopic tears heal and become microscopic scars. The tearing and scarring cause an enlargement in the tendon, producing an increase in friction in the tendon as it moves. The result is pain.

The patella in patellar tendinitis is the kneecap. It’s surrounded by the tendon structure that connects the thigh’s quadriceps muscle group to the lower leg.

SYMPTOMS

• You feel pain in the front of the knee, below the patella, when you pedal or walk upstairs. It’ll probably be even worse descending stairs. It also hurts when you merely touch the tendon. There may be some swelling.

• The tendon might squeak like a rusty hinge when you bend your knee. This worrisome noise is called crepitus and means that the tendon’s normal lubrication is in short supply.

• Your patella is a triangle. If you look down at it, the pain is usually centered on the lower tip (inferior pole) where it connects to the tendon. If the tendinitis is severe, you may get localized swelling. It will look like a little grape at the end of your patella.

CAUSES

• This injury often appears after hard sprinting, big-gear climbing or off-bike jumping activities. It also can flare up after hard leg presses or squats.

• A common cause is simply doing too much, too soon.

TOC:  Andy Pruitt's Medical Guide for Cyclists

Forward by Chris Carmichael Introduction PART 1: BIKE FIT Chapter 1: Bike Fit Rules Chapter 2: Saddle Position Saddle Height for Road Bikes The LeMond Method Saddle Height for Mountain Bikes Frame Size Saddle Setback Saddle Tilt Chapter 3: Handlebar Position Reach to a Drop Bar Reach to a Flat Handlebar Handlebar Width Brake Lever Placement Hand Positions on a Drop Bar Aero Bar Position Chapter 4: Pedals and Cleats Fore/aft Foot Position Rotational Cleat Position Forefoot Varus Pedal Float PART 2: REMEDIES FOR CYCLING INJURIES Chapter 5: Knees How to Ice Injuries How to Use a NSAID Patellar Tendinitis Spring Knee Chondromalacia Ilio-tibial Band Friction Syndrome Plica Syndrome Inflammation of the Medial Patellar Femoral Ligament Pes Anserine Bursitis/Tendinitis Biceps Femoris Tendinitis or Popliteus Tendinitis Answers to FAQ: Knees Chapter 6: Back and Neck Back Pain Answers to FAQ: Shimming Cleats "Shermer Neck" Chapter 7: Foot and Ankle Hot Foot Achilles Tendinitis A Word about Ankling Chapter 8: Hands, Arms, Shoulders Cyclist’s Palsy and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome A Word about Cycling Gloves Navicular Wrist Fracture Broken Collarbone, Shoulder Separation Chapter 9: Crotch and Skin Crotchitis/saddle soreness A Word about Saddles and Shoes Road Rash Answers to FAQ: Skin Problems Chapter 10: Eyes and Head Eye Problems Concussion Chapter 11: Overtraining and Recovery Symptoms of Overtraining Causes of Overtraining Prevention of Overtraining Recovery Techniques Chapter 12: Weight Loss Chapter 13: Physiological Testing Performance Testing Blood Testing Chapter 14: Health Maintenance Riding Through Illness Vitamin Supplements Other Readings About the Authors   Excerpt