Bicycling After Total Knee Replacement

Total knee replacement is one of the largest and most complex surgeries an orthopedic surgeon can perform. It requires a great deal of pain and rehab, but in most cases is well worth the trouble. Having a total knee replacement will limit your activities once you recover. If you enjoyed biking before your surgery, it is very possible you can continue to enjoy this exercise.

Time Frame

• Before returning to biking after a total knee replacement, discuss your plans with your physician. Many factors play into each patient's recovery, and before you attempt to do something like bicycling after total knee replacement, you need to have a time frame laid our by your doctor for certain goals to be achieved. One of these goals will be the successful completion of physical therapy and rehabilitation. For a total knee replacement, this can take anywhere from six months to a year. Once you have completed physical therapy and are cleared by your doctor to begin bicycling, its time to prepare for your first ride.

Stretch Before Riding

• Before you get on your bike, make sure you have any special equipment you may have been prescribed by your doctor. He may have given you a brace to wear or instructed you to wrap your leg with a support bandage. Follow his instructions to the letter. Next, you need to stretch your leg muscles really well. Use leg stretches you to loosen and prepare the muscles in your legs for riding, which can take some of the strain off your knee.

Practice Moderation

• One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to do too much. Use common sense. Make your first bike ride a short one. Start with a couple of miles on flat ground. Keep it slow. Pay close attention to your knee and how it feels as you are pedaling. Stop any time you feel a strain or pain.

Add Slowly

• If your first ride was successful, you can begin, slowly, to add more distance. Space your rides a couple of days apart. Check with your doctor concerning a limit of miles/speed she recommends. Listening to the medical advice of your doctor is the best bet you have for making your new knee last. Bicycling can be a healthy exercise for you, even with a knee replacement, but knowing your limits is an absolute must.