17Feb
Motorcycling and Arthiritis
A Need for Speed?
I decided, in my wisdom, 15 years ago to take my motorbike licence and buy myself a motorbike, midlife crisis I hear you say. I thought a motorbike would be a lot easier than cycling; I would still get fresh air, be outside, enjoying the lovely Scottish scenery and manage to ride further afield. Getting my licence was a huge challenge for me as, to be honest initially, this powerful bike went so fast it petrified me. It was only 250cc!
Three months later, I passed my motorcycling test, I bought a brand new shiny BMW 650 cc, together with a helmet, boots, and all the biking gear,(all the gear and no idea). And I thought 250cc was fast! I had a friend who suggested this bike, which I think on reflection was too fast and big for me, but too late to go back, I had bought and paid for it, I was excited.
I loved the bike, but I always thought I rode it like Angela Lansbury (from Bedknobs and Broomsticks) rode the magic bed. I was not fast, was very cautious and I did not go around corners at any speed whatsoever.
Do I Need a Toe Truck?
One sunny morning I was on the Dunoon ferry, and before we boarded the ferry, there had been a heavy shower of rain. When I parked up, my bike slipped on the wet wooden deck and fell on my left foot. I got a fright, I was in shock, and the pain was excruciating. A lovely staff member gave me a cup of tea, sugar-loaded. I do not take sugar, but I think I must have looked like I was going to faint! I went on my day trip, but I have to say it was not one of my better rides.
Moving On
Fast forward 15 years, the motorbike has gone, I did have some fabulous trips around Scotland on it, but I am back to cycling mainly on my watt bike in the gym. I am a member of Zwift, a cycling app that I love, as you ride with loads of other passionate cyclists and you can be as competitive or not as you want.
The Motorcycle mishap’s downside is that I now have arthritis in my big toe joint where the bike fell on it all those years ago. You do not think any of this at the time, well I didn’t. My foot was sore, not broken, and I just “soldiered on”. My toe joint gets sore if I wear heels and after long rides on the watt bike, which is often.
Cryotherapy and Arthritis
I started applying cryotherapy on my toe joint, and the pain has gone. I have used the machine three times on my arthritic joint, and I cannot believe it… no soreness. I can now cycle over 85 km and come off the bike with no pain.
Arthritis is inflammation in and around joints, in my case, the big toe joint, and the cryotherapy helps reduce the inflammation making the pain subside and, in my case, go away.
If you have any inflammation, please check out my recommended treatments page and please contact me to see if I can help you live a pain-free life.
Header Photo created by KamranAydinov – www.freepik.com
