Osteoarthritis

[mitsu]

I've just been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my right knee. Doctor advised me to stop cycling and all exercise. I told her in no uncertain terms that stopping is not an option.

 

I injured my knee in my early twenties and never had adequate repair work done. I managed to work around the pain and swelling. Lately I've found that lowering my saddle height really helped. With my setup now , cycling doesn't cause any knee pain.

 

The main cause of my knee pain is now work as I'm a mechanic. I own my own business so may have to hire an extra hand to fill my place. It's impossible to avoid pushing a car or bending though.

 

Does anybody else have the same issue and how do you manage it? Do you take any supplements that help?

 

Waiting for appointment at GSH to drain fluid and check for surgical options.

 

I work on 3 to 4 months of pain and fit in cycling around that. 

 

My wife says I can't stop cycling because she's not going to put up with the grumpiness.

[Frail. "Will forever remain "Frail"]

Hello Mitsu

 

I feel your pain.

Hoping you come right with treatment.

Looking forward to hear all the advice.

Take care

David

[SuperDooperSnooper]

Bummer about your knee.

Most knee problems are made worse by heavy strain rather than high repetition, so bending and straightening under pressure like heavy lifts or pushes will cause the inflammation to deteriorate.

And if the joint has less support (muscle bulk or artificial) then the effect is magnified.

Start off by avoiding heavy loads (like cycling uphill in a low gear at a low cadence) and rather use higher (larger) gears at a higher cadence. 

This may sound counter-intuitive, but lowering your saddle too far will also actually put more strain on your knee in the long run due to the pivot angle of your knee at force. Invest in a proper setup.

Pay attention to keeping your knees close to the bike when pedalling (pulled in from the hips) as this spreads the load across the joint.

Keep your knees warmly covered when riding in the cold.

Maybe go see a biokineticist and ask to recommend a knee support.

As to supplements, I have found chondroitin and Glucosamine to help.

 

Best of luck. But at the end of the day, if you've been assessed by an Orthopaedic specialist who still feels you need to pack it in, maybe make other plans. Golf?

[mitsu]

Bummer about your knee.

Most knee problems are made worse by heavy strain rather than high repetition, so bending and straightening under pressure like heavy lifts or pushes will cause the inflammation to deteriorate.

And if the joint has less support (muscle bulk or artificial) then the effect is magnified.

Start off by avoiding heavy loads (like cycling uphill in a low gear at a low cadence) and rather use higher (larger) gears at a higher cadence.

This may sound counter-intuitive, but lowering your saddle too far will also actually put more strain on your knee in the long run due to the pivot angle of your knee at force. Invest in a proper setup.

Pay attention to keeping your knees close to the bike when pedalling (pulled in from the hips) as this spreads the load across the joint.

Keep your knees warmly covered when riding in the cold.

Maybe go see a biokineticist and ask to recommend a knee support.

As to supplements, I have found chondroitin and Glucosamine to help.

 

Best of luck. But at the end of the day, if you've been assessed by an Orthopaedic specialist who still feels you need to pack it in, maybe make other plans. Golf?

Thanks for advice. Advice was from gp. Will see what specialist says. Will give cycling a short break. Not cycling much in winter anyway. Going to try those supplements.

 

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