Wearing helmets while riding a motorbike is a must. But the headgear, which is a safety prerequisite, can potentially become painful. Heavy helmets cause neck pain by putting strain on the cervical nerve roots.
“People tend to slouch a bit while they are riding,” says Prashanth BR, a physiotherapist from Bengaluru. “Whenever they apply sudden brakes to stop the vehicle, it might exert an additional strain on the cervical nerve roots. Say the helmet weighs 2kg and the speed of the vehicle is around 40km/h. When the person abruptly stops the vehicle somewhere, the entire weight of the helmet [and the force from the rapid deceleration] puts a strain on the cervical region.”
Health impact of using heavy helmets
People experience varied levels of pain or numbness in the neck area as a result of the strain that heavy helmets put on the cervical region. It will spell trouble for those who already have physical issues stemming from bad posture.
“Eighty per cent of the people who come to me nowadays complain of neck pain,” says Prashanth. “Most individuals work at desk jobs, spending nine to ten hours a day in front of a system. It is possible that they already struggle with bad posture. Using heavy helmets can put further strain on the neck muscles. The pain caused by the strain exerted on cervical nerve roots will radiate around the nerves, which causes people to experience pins and needles, a pricking sensation or even numbness around the area.”
Measures against neck pain brought on by helmets
Helmets are unavoidable. To lessen the neck pain while using them, regular stretches, say while at a traffic signal, help. Using a helmet with the right weight and fit will make a huge difference too. Exercises to strengthen the neck region will make the muscles strong enough to cope with the strains.
How to choose the right helmet?
Many types of helmets, of different materials and weights, are available in the market today. You can choose a helmet based on your build, posture and muscular strength.
Ensure that you buy a helmet that has proper safety certification (ISI or DOT certification). The certification or mark is a sign of quality checks. Picking up a light helmet with no safety certification will not guarantee protection to the head in case of a fall or crash.
Stretches and strengthening for the neck
Neck strengthening and stretching exercises can prevent or reduce the pain caused due to the use of heavy helmets.
“People benefit when they do both,” says Prashanth. “Stretching without strengthening reduces the elasticity of the muscles and puts people in trouble. Doing both helps to keep everything on track and to improve blood circulation.”
An easy and common neck stretch is to slowly move the neck from the left to the right while applying gentle pressure with two fingers of the left hand on the left jawline. Repeat on the opposite side.
Another stretch is keeping the right hand on the right side of the face while tilting the head to the left. Repeat on the opposite side.
“People require a bigger helmet when they are riding superbikes,” says Prashanth. “At the same time, they need to start strengthening the neck muscles. Imagine a person using a helmet that weighs 2 to 2.5kg. It does not affect in the initial few months but using the helmet for six to eight months without strengthening the neck regularly will lead to neck pain because of the strain.”
Takeaways
- Heavy helmets can impose strain on the cervical nerve roots, leading to neck pain.
- One can minimise neck pain by selecting the right helmet, doing neck stretches and strengthening exercises.
- Helmets should be selected considering the person’s build, posture and muscular strength.
