Cycling With Osteo Arthritis.

[Lurcher100]

Have recently been diagnosed with onset of osteo arthrititis in knees & hips.Am 60yrs old and beginning to struggle with some aspects of work (construction). Wondering cycling could be beneficial or detrimental as have been advised to keep active.

[ummmm]

Beneficial. It's easy on the joints.

[Tilly2]

Swimming might be a good option.

[Tilly2]

Ummmm, cycling makes my knees ache.

[ummmm]

If he's in construction cycling would probably be easy.

I agree that swimming would probably be best though.

[Sqad]

Your problem is pain in the joints made worse by exercise and In feel that cycling would be completely nonsensical and make matters worse.

You need exercise ]that saves the body weight on the joints and that would indicate ......swimming.

[-Talbot-]

Cycling With Osteo Arthritis



That sounds like you are cycling with your Argentinian friend
Both should be good for you, cycle to the local baths, Lurcher.

[-Talbot-]

Cycling can be asked easy or as hard as you want to make it.

[Buenchico]

This appears to be relevant here:
http://road.cc/content/news/49150-regular-cycling-can-ward-arthritis-and-reduce-effects-says-consultant-surgeon

[Sqad]

Interesting link by Buenchico....but the majority of Orthopaedic surgeons would disagree.

We have with Lurcher, a man of 60 years of age with established OA of knees and hips.........

This is a specific situation and i think that even the author of the above article would not advice cycling in this case.

[maggiebee]

Before I had my hip replacement (needed because of osteo arthritis) I was advised that swimming was the best exercise. Don't think I could have cycled if my life had depended on it lol.

[woofgang]

I agree with Sqad, if its osteo, not rheumatoid arthritis, then the joints are actually wearing away. Weight bearing exercise won't help and could actually speed the process up. Better would be swimming, some of the gentler kinds of yoga, pilates.
Chris, that website isn't unbiased and also refers to cycling as a non load bearing exercise which is deffo wrong. After joint replacement and assuming all is well, cycling can be a good way to rebuild lost muscle tone but in Lurcher's circ's I would be doing my best to conserve the joint and not wear more away.
They are right about maintaining and increasing muscle tone though

[jourdain2]

They are right about keeping weight down and muscle-tone. I think swimming would be best, my problem is that I also have it in my spine and when I try to swim (I use breast-stroke) my lower back starts to hurt. I'm trying to learn to do the crawl, but am just not at home with it. I walk the dog, do housework and gardening and stop when necessary until I can go for a bit more. I think just keeping mobile has to help and I've started a stretching routine. To be honest, nothing seems to help that much, I think it is a question of slowing it down really.

[Lurcher100]

Thanks all.

[-Talbot-]

Cycling can be as joint friendly as swimming. I assume people are talking as potential dr's rather than exercise guru's. How is gentle cycling load bearing?

Maybe sqad is still using a penny farthing?

[woofgang]

talbot, the bike moves forward because of downward pressure from the leg and rotary movement cause by flexion and extension at the hip and knee during this downward pressure. This compresses the hip and knee joints at the same time as they are being flexed and extended, which makes it load bearing exercise. Basically the already damaged joint is being squeezed together and rubbed....not goo.

[woofgang]

ha, not "goo" "good"

[slaney]

It depends to an extent the degree of osteoarthritis - it sounds as if it is in the early stages where low impact exercises would be useful. Cycling (and swimming and walking) is classified as a low impact exercise. Obviously one would want to avoid steep and uneven surfaces.

http://osteoarthritis.about.com/od/osteoarthritisexercise/a/Bicycling-With-Osteoarthritis.htm

Arthritis UK recommend low impact exercise such as swimming and cycling.
There is a pdf link at the bottom of this page which gives some useful exercises as well.
http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/osteoarthritis-of-the-knee/knee-pain-exercises.aspx

[woofgang]

That first website is written by someone with the disease who is not a doctor, a researcher or an expert in exercise. I don't mean at all to diss her but I don't see any research evidence for her statements.

This is what arthritis UK says about cycling

"Cycling is very good for strengthening your knees and for general fitness. Use an exercise bike or traffic-free cycle routes if you prefer not to go out on busy roads.
If you get a lot of knee pain you may have to take it very gently to start off with. Stop if your pain gets worse after cycling."

Nothing about it being beneficial to the joints.

[slaney]

HI Woofgang, as I said initially it all depends on the degree of osteoarthritis.

I do have some friends with osteoarthritis of the knees who have benefitted from (gentle) regular cycling exercise.

I would be prepared to dismiss the first article which is American, but Arthritis UK is generally sound and if you check the pdf link I mentioned above, under the general heading of osteoarthritis of the knee..exercises to manage knee pain .. it says:
"exercise – low-impact activities such as swimming, cycling and using a cross-trainer are particularly good"

I presume you do not agree with this - remind me, are you a retired physiotherapist? I seem to remember you have expertise in this area.

I'll have a look and see if I can find some research, now that I have a twinge or two in my knees myself.

[-Talbot-]

You can peddle a modern bike like you are peddling fresh air, woofy.
Obviously this depends on the terrain.