# Osteoarthritis and cycling



## Barbaramoore (Dec 29, 2015)

Anyone got any experience of osteoarthritis and cycling/biking? I'm being referred for X-rays by my doctor. Its painful. It's making me feel somewhat concerned about how quickly it might progress. Does physiotherapy work? I saw Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment in Athletic Edge Sports Medicine(Toronto) website. Does that help?


----------



## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

I have it due to an old ski injury. Lost a bunch of meniscal cartilage and tore the ACL in my right knee back in 1997.

If you're too young for knee replacement like I am (44) then a shot of cortisone followed by 3-5 Supartz injections should get you through. So far it's working for me. Over 2000 miles cycling the past year.

SUPARTZ FX - SUPARTZ FX


----------



## RogueRadio (Dec 7, 2015)

I actually am a Physical Therapist, but in the US not Canada. OA is very manageable and doctors/PTs/Medical Persons will almost always recommend diet and exercise as the primary intervention for pain. I would recommended for you a few things:
1.) Do your best to maintain a healthy weight, in the "normal" BMI zone. studies show that a 10% decrease in body mass (loosing 10-15lbs) reduces OA related pains by 50%
2.) Keep Moving! OA is best treated by a combination of Strength training, cardio, and stretching exercises
3.) Talk to your doctor about SynVisc. Its a newer treatment option that does not involve cortisone injections. It doesnt target inflammation, instead it creates a gel cushion in your joint to help aide in pain free motion. It usually works best for younger adults (Age under 65) as they tend to have less inflammation. A lot of patients have really good success in pain reduction and returning to sport with it. If there is a lot of inflammation already, a cortisone shot is more indicated to reduce that.
4.) Ask for a referral to a PT, we can always help guide you in a program for OA pain management 
5.) Stay Positive! 

You can PM with any questions and I can provide resources if you need! Good Luck!


----------



## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

#2 is a great point. I stay active at the gym 4-5 times a week. Combination of stationary biking, elliptical and leg presses...doctor told me to avoid impact exercising such as fast walking or running on the treadmill. 

Keeping the joint moving and strong seems to decrease almost to zero any OA discomfort I may experience. 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## Spec44 (Aug 17, 2013)

I have arthritis in both my big toes. I have found that if I don't pedal (MTB or stationary) for a couple days, it starts to bother me with some serious inflammation and stiffness (it always hurts, since I bend my toe at that joint with every step). Riding gets the blood flowing to it and keeps it mobile, I guess, because it makes a huge difference...enough that when my cardiologist told me to not ride my bike while he was running a bunch of tests after an episode that occurred on the stationary, I told him that "I have to keep pedalling." He relented.


----------



## SSearchVT (Sep 6, 2007)

Every persons body is different - the OA you have will be different than the person next to you. But, in general - This getting older sucks. It's more work this year to stay at the same fitness level as last year. Don't work through the pain - all you're going to do is aggravate it and yourself. Get the professionals to diagnose it and give a specific route to minimize the progression. Then there's the healthy diet, supplements, staying active, and healthy weight (especially for knees - every extra ounce you carry adds stress to them).


----------



## sherwin24 (Jul 23, 2010)

I had ACL reconstruction in my right knee last June caused from skiing. Everything was going great until October when after a few weeks of running the left knee pain started. Turns out that an ACL reconstruction in that knee from '97 coupled with a slight meniscus tear from the recent ski accident had created OA and a Bakers Cyst. It was so bad I was starting to worry at 43 years young my body had seen enough and was time to put a fork in me. Had 3 injections of Synvisc in Nov. and have been xc skiing 4 times a week pain free since mid Dec. Just did 30km today and felt great. Only time my knees ache is when I relax on the couch and get up.

So I second the suggestions already mentioned, look into injections and keep moving. Have found out I really like those firm foam rollers too, not so much for the knees, but just all the other aches that come with time.


----------



## sherwin24 (Jul 23, 2010)

Should have added that I had been on the bike trainer since 3 weeks after the surgery and it helped a ton to get range of motion back quickly and strengthen the leg again. Both the Doctor and PT said biking was excellent for it. Even while waiting for surgery they had me on it. It was one of the few things that I could do that actually felt good leading up to surgery and after. I continued to do it once the OA showed up, but couldn't do any impact stuff. A PT can show you exercises to do and really, in the end, strengthening your muscles is going to go a long way to helping, however getting comfort to be able to do the work is the hard part. That is where the SynVisc really made the difference. I probably sound like a commercial, but to be honest, during the 3 weeks (1 a week) of shots it almost made things worse. Even 2 weeks afterward I thought it did little or nothing, at times it even felt worse. Then things settled and I have been very active since with little to no pain from the OA.

Looking back on the last 8-9 months, the ACL was easy, there was a goal in mind and progress made the challenge actually fun. When the OA showed up in my other knee, it took the wind right out of me. My workouts had to scale back because of the pain, I got depressed and didn't really know what to do. Tried my best to keep looking ahead but the pain kept getting worse while progress on the ACL was getting set back. I gained a new respect for people living with arthritis to say the least. Can't thank my PT enough for working me through it. Used to think I knew my body better than anyone, been active my whole life, what can they offer me that I can't do myself. Wrong idea, come to think of it I probably owe him and her a huge debt of gratitude.


----------

