Bicycling and arthroscopic knee surgery

I have knee surgery for a torn miniscus in a couple of days. The tear
has really not affected my bicycling (recently did a century with 9000'
climbing, and other steep rides (most of the hilly section of this ride
- http://www.chainreaction.com/bohlmanblack.htm) with no ill effects.
The main problem is walking, running and stairs. My doctor has told me
that I should be able to walk without crutches in 2-3 days, and can
start adding activities after that, based on how I feel, with full
recovery in 2-3 months.

My question is - how soon can I start riding again post surgery? Any
special precautions? My bike commute is a flat 12 miles (just a few
overpasses). My first step would be to get comfortable with that ride,
and then focus on longer rides. Would I really have to wait 2-3 months
before I can do that kind of ride again? While I would like to get back
to normal as soon as possible, I don't want to do anything that will
set back my healing.

Any recommendations and experiences would be welcome.

Thx,

Atri

All kidding aside. Don't you think that your Orthopod is the one you
should be asking? I'm sure that some folks on this group have had
similar surgery and experience with rehab but there are always
individual variations. If you trust the guy enough to cut into you I'd
go with his advise.

wrote:

I have knee surgery for a torn miniscus in a couple of days. The tear
has really not affected my bicycling (recently did a century with 9000'
climbing, and other steep rides (most of the hilly section of this ride
- http://www.chainreaction.com/bohlmanblack.htm) with no ill effects.
The main problem is walking, running and stairs. My doctor has told me
that I should be able to walk without crutches in 2-3 days, and can
start adding activities after that, based on how I feel, with full
recovery in 2-3 months.

My question is - how soon can I start riding again post surgery? Any
special precautions? My bike commute is a flat 12 miles (just a few
overpasses). My first step would be to get comfortable with that ride,
and then focus on longer rides. Would I really have to wait 2-3 months
before I can do that kind of ride again? While I would like to get back
to normal as soon as possible, I don't want to do anything that will
set back my healing.

Any recommendations and experiences would be welcome.

Thx,

Atri


You cannot go wrong if you go with your surgeon's advice regarding
returning to activities -and- using your own good common sense, but not
to return to activity sooner rather to let your body tell you that
perhaps it is too soon.

gds wrote:
All kidding aside. Don't you think that your Orthopod is the one you
should be asking? I'm sure that some folks on this group have had
similar surgery and experience with rehab but there are always
individual variations. If you trust the guy enough to cut into you I'd
go with his advise.

I absolutely do plan to follow the doctor's advice, as well as that of
the physiotherapist, and don't plan to do anything stupid. Regardless,
I was interested in people's experiences, as it relates to bicycling.
Though I have had knee problems for years, I have always found cycling
therapeutic, to the extent that often knee pain reduced after a ride.
Hopefully, there will be benefits to my healing process as well.

Atri

Atri wrote:
I have knee surgery for a torn miniscus in a couple of days. ...

My question is - how soon can I start riding again post surgery? Any
special precautions? ...While I would like to get back
to normal as soon as possible, I don't want to do anything that will
set back my healing.

Any recommendations and experiences would be welcome.


Hey, you asked: http://www.lmb.org/ljm2005.htm

Repaired meniscus, followed by a stroke. She'd mentioned that her doc
prescribed cycling as a recovery measure.

I don't intend to scare you, but you might want to look into Cumadin.

HTH

--Karen D.

wrote in message
ups.com...
I have knee surgery for a torn miniscus in a couple of days. The main
problem is walking, running and stairs. My doctor has told me
that I should be able to walk without crutches in 2-3 days, and can
start adding activities after that, based on how I feel, with full
recovery in 2-3 months.

My question is - how soon can I start riding again post surgery? Any
special precautions?
Any recommendations and experiences would be welcome.

I had the same arthroscopic operation. In addition to cleaning up the
meniscus there were bone chips and other detritus.
I found the recovery to be much easier than I had imagined. I actually
walked out of the hospital the same day without crutches and was back on my
bike in a week. However, I did take it easy initially and avoided any high
torque situations. Also I continued to have physiotherapy to improve muscle
stability. Within three weeks I was up to about 50km and have had no further
problems at all. Total success!
Good luck,

Roy

wrote in message
ups.com...
I have knee surgery for a torn miniscus in a couple of days. The tear
has really not affected my bicycling (recently did a century with 9000'
climbing, and other steep rides (most of the hilly section of this ride
- http://www.chainreaction.com/bohlmanblack.htm) with no ill effects.
The main problem is walking, running and stairs. My doctor has told me
that I should be able to walk without crutches in 2-3 days, and can
start adding activities after that, based on how I feel, with full
recovery in 2-3 months.

My question is - how soon can I start riding again post surgery? Any
special precautions? My bike commute is a flat 12 miles (just a few
overpasses). My first step would be to get comfortable with that ride,
and then focus on longer rides. Would I really have to wait 2-3 months
before I can do that kind of ride again? While I would like to get back
to normal as soon as possible, I don't want to do anything that will
set back my healing.

Any recommendations and experiences would be welcome.

Thx,

Atri

As others have said, the best person to ask this question to is your
surgeon. That said, make sure the guy has some background in sports
medicine and not 20 years experience doing artificial hips for seniors.
I've had two shoulder surgeries in the past two years, both of which knocked
me off the bike for a while. Luckily my ortho doc was a sports medicine
specialists and a cyclist himself. I was fairly certain that I was getting
good direction from a guy who understood the mechanics of the joint in
question as well as the proposed activity.

Ultimately it's going to be you that decides when and if to start riding
again. Obviously docs are well informed on the subject of surgical
recovery. Just make sure you talk to a doc who knows what he's talking
about.

Good luck with the surgery. Just remember: painkillers are your friend.

Tom

"tcmedara" wrote: (clip) Good luck with the surgery. Just remember:
painkillers are your friend.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Up to a point. Vicodin can be addictive.

"Veloise" wrote in message
oups.com...
Atri wrote:
I have knee surgery for a torn miniscus in a couple of days. ...

My question is - how soon can I start riding again post surgery? Any
special precautions? ...While I would like to get back
to normal as soon as possible, I don't want to do anything that will
set back my healing.

Any recommendations and experiences would be welcome.


Hey, you asked: http://www.lmb.org/ljm2005.htm

Repaired meniscus, followed by a stroke. She'd mentioned that her doc
prescribed cycling as a recovery measure.

(clip) I don't intend to scare you, but you might want to look into
Cumadin.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Cumadin is a blood thinner that my wife takes becasue of two strokes.
Because of it, she has to have monthly blood tests to keep the dosage
adjusted. It was given to me for a limited time following hip replacement
surgery, as a preventive against blood clots. If the type of surgery you
receive carries that kind of risk, you will get that as one of your post-op
prescriptions. No need to look into it--your doctor knows whether you need
it. Without his prescription you won't be able to get it anyway.

In article ,
"Leo Lichtman" wrote:

"tcmedara" wrote: (clip) Good luck with the surgery. Just remember:
painkillers are your friend.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Up to a point. Vicodin can be addictive.

Well, sometimes painkillers are like that really good friend you always
have a lot of fun with, but who can also be a dangerous influence on you.

Eventually, you have to break up with that friend, but you'll never
forget the good times,

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos