Assessment
A full hour on your history and how your body actually moves. You leave with a working diagnosis you understand and a clear plan you can actually follow.
Concern
Cycling Injury Treatment in London
Most cycling complaints are not crashes: they are overuse, anterior knee pain, a nagging low back or neck from hours in position, and ITB-related outer-knee pain. They build from volume, position, and load tolerance, which means they respond well to the right rehab and a few setup changes rather than simply stopping riding. We treat London cyclists across six central clinics.
Overview
Understanding cycling injuries
Cycling is low-impact but highly repetitive, and a sustained, flexed position for hours loads specific structures. The most common non-traumatic complaints are anterior (patellofemoral) knee pain, iliotibial band pain on the outer knee, low back pain, and neck and shoulder pain from the riding position.
These are overload and position problems, and the evidence points to exercise-based loading and a graded return rather than rest. We assess the rider and the load together: your training volume, any sudden jump in mileage, strength and mobility, and how your position interacts with your body, then build a physiotherapy and strength plan around it. Bike-fit adjustments are discussed alongside.
For riders who also run, our running assessment screens the mechanics behind recurrent lower-limb problems, so we address the cause across both sports.
Excellent
From 4 five-star Google reviews
Source: Google
I had a fantastic experience working with Katrina as my physiotherapist. From the start, she was incredibly friendly and genuinely listened to my concerns. She adapted my rehab plan specifically to suit my individual needs and time frame, as I was preparing for a move and had a clear goal to be back playing football. Katrina not only helped me reach that goal right on time, but she also used a variety of techniques, including dry needling and massage, to relieve tightness in the surrounding muscles and support my overall recovery. Her attention to detail, encouragement, and tailored approach made a real difference in my progress. I would recommend her to anyone looking for a physio!
Katrina is outstanding. After struggling with a stubborn Achilles injury, she not only got me pain-free but back to running and sport. Her expertise in acupuncture, massage, and tailored rehab planning is second to none. On top of that, she brings great energy and conversation that make each session genuinely enjoyable. If you need a physio who combines real skill with a personal touch, Katrina is the one to see.
Great experience with Katrina. She helped me with a sprained ankle with a very doable and effective treatment plan. The exercises were not overcomplicated and easy to incorporate into my day to day life which meant that I actually did them and was able to recover within 5 weeks in time to do a tough mudder. Really easy to chat to! Would recommend.
Katrina was great with me! I had a hip injury and expected it to take ages to fix but with the exercises she gave me to do and acupuncture, it all went away quite quickly. I now have exercises I can do regularly in the future and knowledge on how to prevent. Great experience!
Physiotherapy for cycling injuries can help to:
Sort overuse without racking the bike
Most cycling complaints are overuse rather than crashes: front-of-knee pain, a nagging low back or neck, and outer-knee ITB pain. They respond to the right rehabilitation and a few changes rather than simply stopping riding.
Settle anterior knee and ITB pain
Front-of-knee and outer-knee pain are the most common non-traumatic cycling problems. We load the knee, hip and gluteal muscles progressively so it tolerates your mileage again.
Unload the low back and neck
Hours in a flexed position load the spine and neck. We build the strength and mobility to hold your position comfortably, so long rides stop leaving you sore.
Look at position alongside the rehab
Saddle height, cleat position and reach all interact with your body. We discuss bike-fit adjustments next to the strength work, so the setup stops feeding the problem.
Screen the mechanics if you also run
Many cyclists run too. Our running assessment screens the gait and load behind recurrent lower-limb problems, so we address the cause across both sports.
Why it happens
What causes cycling injuries?
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Ramping up mileage, climbing or intensity faster than your body can adapt
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Hours bent forward on the bike, loading the lower back and neck
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Overload at the front of the knee, often down to saddle height or cleat position
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Irritation on the outside of the knee, from the tough band down the thigh, caused by high mileage
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Weakness in the hips, glutes and trunk
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Neck and shoulder loading from reaching to the bars on long or aggressive setups
What happens at your first appointment
We work out what is really holding you back, then agree the plan with you before you leave.
Your first appointment runs a full 60 minutes: a detailed history, then a thorough examination of how you move, your strength, and the affected area. We explain what we find in plain English and agree a working diagnosis with you.
Treatment starts the same day, and you leave with the first exercises of a plan built around your goal.
Move well, move freely. That has been the idea since 1997. We settle the symptoms first, then rebuild the strength that stops them coming back, so you finish stronger than when you started.
- One clinical team across six central London clinics, from Soho to Canary Wharf, with same-week appointments.
- Treating central London since 1997: 28 years and roughly 160,000 patients.
- Recognised by seven major UK insurers, including Bupa, AXA and Vitality, with self-pay welcome.
Physiotherapy fees and insurance in London
You can book online directly, with no GP referral needed and same-week appointments across all six clinics. If you are using private health insurance, check your policy first: some insurers ask for a GP referral before your first session.
- Initial assessment: a full 60 minutes covering your history, examination and a working diagnosis
- Follow-up treatment: 45 minutes, with your plan progressed at each visit
- Extended 60-minute treatments for complex or multi-area problems
- Recognised by Bupa, AXA Health, Vitality, Aviva, Cigna, Nuffield Health and WPA
Your journey
with Soho Physiotherapy
Everything is built around you. Whether the goal is a marathon or a comfortable commute, we find what is driving the problem, treat it, and build the strength that keeps the fix in place. Our aim is to get you better and give you the tools to stay better for the long term.
Treatment
Hands-on care to settle symptoms and restore movement: joint mobilisation, soft-tissue work and dry needling where they genuinely help, in line with national guidance.
Rebuild
Progressive exercise that returns the strength, control and load tolerance your body needs for work, sport and everything in between. This is the part that makes recovery last.
Perform
A short home programme, sensible loads, and the habits that keep problems rare. Then we discharge you: we don't sell sessions you don't need.
What we treat across our six London clinics
- Musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy
- Manual therapy and progressive exercise rehabilitation
- Dry needling and Western medical acupuncture
- Sports massage and soft-tissue therapy
- Shockwave therapy for stubborn tendon problems
- Post-operative rehabilitation
- Women's and pelvic health physiotherapy
- Workplace and desk setup assessments
- Running and gait analysis
Treatment approach
How do we treat cycling injuries?
Physiotherapy
Price on enquiryAssessment identifies whether the pain is patellofemoral, ITB-related, or position-driven low back or neck pain, then delivers progressive loading and manual therapy: the first-line treatment across these overuse presentations.
See treatment detail →Running Assessment
Price on enquiryFor triathletes and cyclists who also run, screening running mechanics and load helps identify the upstream factors behind recurrent lower-limb pain: the same service that covers runners and marathon training.
See treatment detail →Sports Massage
Price on enquiryAdjunctive soft-tissue work for the quadriceps, ITB, glutes, and low back during heavy training blocks: useful alongside the loading programme, not as a stand-alone treatment.
See treatment detail →Shockwave Therapy
Price on enquiryFor patellar tendinopathy that has not settled with first-line loading, focused shockwave may be worth considering alongside continued rehabilitation, in line with NICE interventional procedures guidance.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Common questions about
cycling injuries in London
Why does my knee hurt when cycling?
Front-of-knee (patellofemoral) pain is the most common cycling knee complaint, usually from a load spike or a setup issue such as saddle height or cleat position. Outer-knee pain is often ITB-related. Both respond to progressive strengthening of the quadriceps, glutes, and hips alongside a position review: rest alone tends to leave the knee weaker.
Can physiotherapy help my cycling back and neck pain?
Yes. Low back and neck pain from cycling is usually a tolerance problem: the position is sustained longer than the supporting muscles can comfortably hold. We build strength and mobility in the trunk, hips, and neck so you cope with your riding position, and discuss bike-fit changes alongside. Most position-driven pain settles with this combined approach.
Should I stop riding while an injury settles?
Usually not completely. Relative rest: reducing the most aggravating load, such as long climbs or high mileage, while progressively rebuilding tolerance, beats total rest, which leaves the tissue weaker. Cycling is low-impact, so modified riding is often part of recovery. Your physiotherapist guides how much volume and intensity is right for your stage.
Will a bike fit fix my pain on its own?
A good bike fit helps, but it rarely fixes an established overuse injury on its own. Position changes reduce the aggravating load, while rehabilitation rebuilds the strength and tolerance the structure was lacking. We address both together: adjusting how you sit on the bike and strengthening the body that holds the position, for a durable result.
Related Concerns
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Soho Physiotherapy • 111 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DT
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