Cycling after a knee op

Qualitymark

Mod note: we cannot give medical advice, please contact your medical adviser.

Already asked this on the Cycling forum, but perhaps people here might have more experience: how soon after a knee replacement can you get back on the bicycle, in your experience.

looksee

Sadly I am not considered safe to be allowed on a bicycle, and I still have both my own knees, so I can't help, but maybe some one will! (Honestly think the surgeon might have a better idea!)

Layinghen

Really think you need to have a chat with your surgeon or physio on this one. You are not meant to drive for six weeks after a knee replacement (but naughty people do it sooner than that:D) so at a guess cycling could be off the menu for longer than that.

Good luck with the op it will make a huge difference to your life .

Qualitymark

Thank you very much for the kind wishes - actually it's a friend who's had the op, not me. She's already walking quite vigorously a fortnight after the operation. Googling the question suggests that you can first cycle after three months, which surprised me. She's going to be using a stationary bicycle next week in the local gym.

Jellybaby1

I don't know anyone with knee replacements but I know a few with brand new hips. One of them I saw on a bicycle about three months after her op but she was almost torn off it by a friend who knew that she shouldn't be doing that, another friend was crippled for a whole year afterwards before she could walk properly. Different patients recover at different rates so I would not recommend running before you can walk. My recommendation is to consult her consultant as one consultant will give different advice to another consultant, and she shouldn't take the advice of someone else's consultant!

MrWalsh

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

I would not recommend running before you can walk.

Actually they dont like you running on knee replacements at all

Qualitymark

Hips can be distinctly dodgy; I remember a friend who had a hip replaced and was told he must not sit (for some time after the operation - I don't think this was permanent) with his knees above his hip; a friend of his had done so after each of his first two operations on one hip; each time it dislocated and had to be redone…

Jellybaby1

Actually thought one of the others would have caught me on that one, but you got there first Mr. Walsh!

Qualitymark

Mod note: we cannot give medical advice, please contact your medical adviser.

Heavens, not asking for medical advice, merely for people's personal experience!

MrWalsh

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Actually thought one of the others would have caught me on that one, but you got there first Mr. Walsh!

I just happened to have made an appointment with my own orthopaedic surgeon today for next week regarding my dodgy knee so I guess it was on my mind as I have to admit to him I have done a couch to 5k since my last knee surgery - which wasnt a knee replacement but he may not be pleased anyway!

Jellybaby1

Couch to 5k! You'll get a slap for that so you will. Don't be putting more money in the doctor's pockets by being bold. Look after yourself, and you'll soon be doing Argentinian Tangos.

Qualitymark

Are tangos allowed? After all… it takes two to tango.

MrWalsh

Qualitymark wrote: »

Are tangos allowed? After all… it takes two to tango.

Two knees?

Rubecula

I do not think we (however experienced) are in anyway a substitute for a doctors opinion. As you quoted in you op:
Mod note: we cannot give medical advice, please contact your medical adviser.

Not wishing to be nasty but any advice you follow from any poster online is purely at your own risk.

Qualitymark

Once again…

I'm not asking for advice. I'm asking for people's personal experiences. Since no one here has any personal experience of this, I'll say thank you and let's leave it at that.

Rubecula

That is fine Qualitymark just didn't want you to think that you could leap on a bike if someone else had. Last thing I want is for a valued user to be seriously hurt by doing the wrong thing

DunnoKiddo

Knees...why are they soooo painful? I fractured and inflamed mine a month ago and exerbike to encourage mobility and strengthen it --- I am failing at the strength part, regardless of my regular exerbiking (then again, maybe overdoing it is the reason for the pain). My physio says, in the long term exerbiking will help. I am attempting to prevent surgery, but the achiness increases... so that's my personal experience of cycling, but BEFORE knee surgery.

MrWalsh

Had a cortisone injection in the knee on Tuesday. Bit tender still. Going to the gym today though as I've rested it since.