Neck pain from bicycling can be relieved with the right methods

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- If you're feeling pain after a long bike ride, you're not alone. It's common for cyclists to experience neck pain and hand numbness.

"They're in one position for too long," said Matt Lay of Pasadena Cyclery.

Lay said riders sometimes feel pain because they grip handlebars too hard, or weren't properly fit on their bikes.

Fitness expert Sue Hitzmann says she sees bike riders whose pain comes from overuse.

"A lot of people go from being runners to cyclers because of the impact on their back and their knees, but it turns out that because you're in this flexed posture for a long fixated period of time, oftentimes a lot of people have more upper body pain from cycling," said Hitzmann.

Hitzmann created a self-care program called The MELT Method to restore and rehydrate connective tissue.

Her program shows you how to prevent or relieve pain using a series of video guides. Step-by-step, she walks you through movements to help strengthen and relieve chronic pain in the hands and the forearms.

To combat neck issues, she suggests using a soft foam roller on places like your chest, upper arm and back.

"You want to try to improve upper back extension and clear out a lot of the accumulated stress from holding onto a bike handle - the vibration that occurs can really impact your neck and your shoulder alignment," said Hitzmann.

According to Hitzmann, 10 minutes of 'melting' before heading out on the highway will hopefully leave you with a pain-free ride.