Managing Pain from Riding a Motorcycle

Riding your motorcycle can be a lot of fun, but it can also end up causing you pain. You might get back from a ride feeling like your joints are stiff, or wake up the morning after a long trip with sore muscles and fatigue. So, what can you do to manage and prevent this type of pain? Here are a few tips that should help you so that you can enjoy your motorcycle rides as much as possible.

Pain Prevention

It’s helpful to find ways to prevent pain from developing, rather than finding ways to manage it once it’s started. Before you ride, it may be wise to do some basic stretches to loosen up your arms, legs, back, and core muscles. A good stretch can do wonders to prevent pain later on.

Something to keep in mind while you’re riding your motorcycle is what your limits are. If you feel like you’re starting to develop pain, pull over and take a break. Stand up, walk around, touch your toes, and drink some water. You’ll likely feel a lot better after ten to fifteen minutes off your bike and you can go back to riding for another hour or two before your next break. Listen to what your body tells you and don’t push yourself too hard.

Pain Reduction

Try as you might, you may still end up feeling some pain after your ride. Some things you can try include: 

Ice: Cold is a good anti-inflammatory agent. Put some ice cubes in a plastic bag and wrap them in a towel before placing them on the area in question. Apply ice for twenty minutes every hour, giving your skin time to recuperate to avoid an injury from the cold.

Heat: A hot compress or heating pad can help loosen up stiffness. You'll want to use caution when applying heat and avoid doing it for too long. You could also try soaking in a hot bath with Epsom salts.

Creams: Various ointments can be applied directly to the part of your body where you’re experiencing pain, which is more targeted and can be useful when you don’t want to use OTC painkillers.

What to Avoid

Some people may try to numb their pain with alcohol or recreational drugs. This is a very poor approach because you’ll be limiting the time during which you can safely ride since you’ll be intoxicated. Also, dulling your pain means you can’t tell whether it’s worsening or improving, which can result in you injuring yourself without meaning to. Also, you don’t want to develop an addiction just to cope with pain.

We hope that these tips have been helpful. If you’re looking to buy a motorcycle, visit St. Charles Harley-Davidson® to see what we have got in stock. We are located in St. Charles, MO, where we proudly serve all those in St. Louis and St. Peters.