cycling w/left sided paralysis

My wife's father had a stroke that limited his use of his left leg. He
has enjoyed cycling in the past, and needs new/modified activities. Are
there bicycles that are particularly adapted to folks with one good leg
and one not-so-good? Would a recumbent be easier for him to ride?

My wife's father had a stroke that limited his use of his left leg. He
has enjoyed cycling in the past, and needs new/modified activities. Are
there bicycles that are particularly adapted to folks with one good leg
and one not-so-good? Would a recumbent be easier for him to ride?


How about some type of recumbent trike? That would seem to handle all or
most of the balance issues.

This assumes, of course, that he will be safe on it, as far as vision, etc..
My F-I-L had a stroke years back and had visibility problems to one side.
He was lacking peripheral vision to that side and had to make a conscious
effort to turn his head that direction to see. "Look to your left" became
the family mantra. He wasn't able to drive. Hopefully your F-I-L is not as
limited by his stroke.

Lyle

alath wrote:
My wife's father had a stroke that limited his use of his left leg. He
has enjoyed cycling in the past, and needs new/modified activities. Are
there bicycles that are particularly adapted to folks with one good leg
and one not-so-good? Would a recumbent be easier for him to ride?

Get a stationary bike with toe clips and a whirlwind fan in front of it
would be the safest thing.
Maybe in front of a TV would be nice.

In article .com,
"ddog" wrote:

alath wrote:
My wife's father had a stroke that limited his use of his left leg.
He has enjoyed cycling in the past, and needs new/modified
activities. Are there bicycles that are particularly adapted to
folks with one good leg and one not-so-good? Would a recumbent be
easier for him to ride?

Get a stationary bike with toe clips and a whirlwind fan in front of
it would be the safest thing. Maybe in front of a TV would be nice.

Geez how about a rocking chair on the front porch? Let's not
unnecessarily consign the OP's father-in-law to geezerdom just yet.

alath, it depends on what his focal motor limitations are. Can he use
the leg at all? Can he lift it and/or push down on the pedal? Was the
stroke recent and is there some hope of regaining more function? Does
he have normal sensation in the leg and buttocks? Can he bear weight on
it?

I would recommend consulting with a physical therapist. These folks are
very creative and forward thinking. An occupational therapist might
also be helpful if there are issues with hand strength or arm strength.

There are a couple of possibilities. One is just using a regular bike
and letting the leg ride up and down. If he can lift the leg at all,
that might be an indicator that this might be a good approach. Even if
he can't, it might still be reasonable for range of motion and hopefully
reducing fluid collection in the lower leg tissues.

Another option would be to have a left crank machined with a bearing in
it, so that the crank just points straight down all the time. He'd just
pedal with one leg. Longstaff cycles in the UK used to specialize in
this kind of thing but George Longstaff has passed away. However, the
business seems to be continuing so they might be a resource:

http://www.longstaffcycles.co.uk/

Another option would be to just take the left crank off the bike and
fabricate a footrest.

Now, this assumes that his cognition, visual field and arms/hands are
fine. If his cognition or vision are impaired, then riding a bike may
not be safe. If he has impairment of his hands or arms, then further
adaptation might be necessary. There's a safety issue if he can't use
his left leg to bear weight or catch himself if for some reason he has
to dismount to that side.

I would tend to think that a standard bike would be better- easier for
mounting and dismounting since he wouldn't have to sit down or stand up
like he would with a recumbent. A step-through frame is also a
possibility with a standard bike. Balancing a recumbent feels quite
different than balancing a regular bike, which may or may not be an
issue. It would be fairly easy to make a leg rest for a recumbent if he
can't use the leg at all (a PT or OT would even have the materials).

In either case, if he uses a cane it'd be simple to make a way to clip
the cane to the frame to take along with him.

There are other options, of course, including handcycles which are
pedaled with the arms instead of the feet, recumbent and standard
trikes, etc.

http://www.dsusa.org/ChallMagarchive...-RXforFun.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/SM00042

Good luck!

Don't overlook the possibility of going to a gym or physical therapy place
and riding a stationary bike, to find out how the bad leg functions on the
pedal.

alath wrote:
My wife's father had a stroke that limited his use of his left leg. He
has enjoyed cycling in the past, and needs new/modified activities. Are
there bicycles that are particularly adapted to folks with one good leg
and one not-so-good? Would a recumbent be easier for him to ride?

One of those three wheeled trike like 'bents would seem to be best. I'd
also suggest a tandem if he isn't in danger of doing a face plant off
the side.

Tim McNamara wrote:

Geez how about a rocking chair on the front porch? Let's not
unnecessarily consign the OP's father-in-law to geezerdom just yet.


Tim,

You are assuming allot:

- nothing wrong with stationary bikes since aerobic excercise is the
main benefit, and they are safer,
- he might not want to go out for special olympics so the extra trouble
of going to the Mayo clinic may not be called for,
- stationary bikes are THE best recovering physical therapy exercise
after basic motor skill functions are resumed,
- recumbant bikes tilt neck forward which is a NON-BENDING motion of
neck, so vertebra 'leaks' fluids and FREEZE neck solid looking down
(same thing as improper workstation after years looking down at monitor
- ALWAYS keep arch in neck like normal bikes(!)),
and most importantly
- who's going to catch this guy half of his stops when he has to put
his bad foot down? Trikes are unstable with 2 rear wheels. During the
turn of last century ~1900, 2 Front wheel trikes were the rage but
industry (oil, auto, and insurance) did not make as much money
so...there aren't any nor any mention of them in Republican propoganda
history books.

Stationary bikes are cool. Fresh air would be main thing missing, but
could get that in seperate activities.
Life is a compromise. Its only different, that's all.

imo



Tim McNamara wrote:

Geez how about a rocking chair on the front porch? Let's not
unnecessarily consign the OP's father-in-law to geezerdom just yet.

alath, it depends on what his focal motor limitations are. Can he use
the leg at all? Can he lift it and/or push down on the pedal? Was the
stroke recent and is there some hope of regaining more function? Does
he have normal sensation in the leg and buttocks? Can he bear weight on
it?

I would recommend consulting with a physical therapist. These folks are
very creative and forward thinking. An occupational therapist might
also be helpful if there are issues with hand strength or arm strength.

There are a couple of possibilities. One is just using a regular bike
and letting the leg ride up and down. If he can lift the leg at all,
that might be an indicator that this might be a good approach. Even if
he can't, it might still be reasonable for range of motion and hopefully
reducing fluid collection in the lower leg tissues.

Another option would be to have a left crank machined with a bearing in
it, so that the crank just points straight down all the time. He'd just
pedal with one leg. Longstaff cycles in the UK used to specialize in
this kind of thing but George Longstaff has passed away. However, the
business seems to be continuing so they might be a resource:

http://www.longstaffcycles.co.uk/

Another option would be to just take the left crank off the bike and
fabricate a footrest.

Now, this assumes that his cognition, visual field and arms/hands are
fine. If his cognition or vision are impaired, then riding a bike may
not be safe. If he has impairment of his hands or arms, then further
adaptation might be necessary. There's a safety issue if he can't use
his left leg to bear weight or catch himself if for some reason he has
to dismount to that side.

I would tend to think that a standard bike would be better- easier for
mounting and dismounting since he wouldn't have to sit down or stand up
like he would with a recumbent. A step-through frame is also a
possibility with a standard bike. Balancing a recumbent feels quite
different than balancing a regular bike, which may or may not be an
issue. It would be fairly easy to make a leg rest for a recumbent if he
can't use the leg at all (a PT or OT would even have the materials).

In either case, if he uses a cane it'd be simple to make a way to clip
the cane to the frame to take along with him.

There are other options, of course, including handcycles which are
pedaled with the arms instead of the feet, recumbent and standard
trikes, etc.

http://www.dsusa.org/ChallMagarchive...-RXforFun.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/SM00042

Good luck!

On 13 Jan 2007 06:50:43 -0800, "alath" may have
said:

My wife's father had a stroke that limited his use of his left leg. He
has enjoyed cycling in the past, and needs new/modified activities. Are
there bicycles that are particularly adapted to folks with one good leg
and one not-so-good? Would a recumbent be easier for him to ride?

If balance is not a problem, and the leg's impairment is unlikely to
make toppling over likely if he has to stop with that foot down, then
yes, a 'bent may have some advantages due to being easier to mount and
dismount *for some people*. (This is a YMMV issue; the only way to
find out is to try.)

There are various pedal setups that may help. Ordinary clipless
pedals, for the sufficiently dedicated rider, will overcome many of
the hurdles by allowing the rider to use the stronger leg to continue
the pedal rotation if the weak leg is unresponsive.

Trikes, most particularly (IMO, anyway) recumbent trikes, are also a
potentially viable option, and they obviate many of the concerns
regarding balance and stopping. Traditional upright trikes are very
limited in their riding speed, however, due to the hazard of tipping
over if the rider tries to take a corner at too high of a
velocity..and the rate that's "too high" can be distressingly low.

FWIW, I will relate that I had a neighbor across the street who
continued to live unassisted and self-supported for over 30 years
following a stroke that left him partially paralyzed on one side.
Much depends upon the outlook and determination of the
individual...and nonphysical support and encouragement that will keep
your in-law active and involved may be just as important as any
adaptive tools in the long run.




--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

On 13 Jan 2007 07:23:14 -0800, "ddog" may
have said:


alath wrote:
My wife's father had a stroke that limited his use of his left leg. He
has enjoyed cycling in the past, and needs new/modified activities. Are
there bicycles that are particularly adapted to folks with one good leg
and one not-so-good? Would a recumbent be easier for him to ride?

Get a stationary bike with toe clips and a whirlwind fan in front of it
would be the safest thing.
Maybe in front of a TV would be nice.

"Safe" things don't always do what's really needed. Getting out and
*doing something*, so that the person remains connected with the
process of living, can be vastly more important than mere
exercise...and TV numbs the mind. Much of the research into
Alzheimers has been concluding that much like the rest of the body,
the less you use your mind, the less of it will remain functional in
the long run.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

On Sat, 13 Jan 2007 10:36:06 -0700, Paul Cassel
may have said:

alath wrote:
My wife's father had a stroke that limited his use of his left leg. He
has enjoyed cycling in the past, and needs new/modified activities. Are
there bicycles that are particularly adapted to folks with one good leg
and one not-so-good? Would a recumbent be easier for him to ride?

One of those three wheeled trike like 'bents would seem to be best. I'd
also suggest a tandem if he isn't in danger of doing a face plant off
the side.

I'd only suggest a tandem right away if the rider was already
confident on one previously; they do take a bit of getting used to, as
I have discovered since rehabbing one and adding it to the fleet.
OTOH, after the rider has gained confidence with the new level of
ability, a tandem might be a good thing all around *part of the time*,
but one of the keys to regaining full independence in such
circumstances is to find the path that *doesn't* require a second
person for completion of ordinary tasks. Having company is great, but
lack of it shouldn't be an obstacle to getting out.

I will note that a couple of years ago, a lady with MS made one last
ride in the Houston MS150 in the captain's saddle aboard a modified
tandem; the steering was rerigged so that the stoker had full control
capability. I've seen the bike; it was a nice bit of low-budget
rework, and he still keeps it fully maintained.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.