# Cycling with arthritis of the hip



## gb155 (26 Apr 2012)

can it be done?


----------



## compo (26 Apr 2012)

Generally yes. In fact cycling is very good for arthritis as it moves the hip through a reasonable range without weight bearing. if I don't cycle for a week or so my hips stiffen up and start to hurt but once back on my bike all the pain and stiffness quickly go away.

I would just make the proviso that what works for one person may not be the same for another!


----------



## gb155 (26 Apr 2012)

Thanks Compo


----------



## albion (26 Apr 2012)

I find it far far better than walking for arthritis.
Always spin and keep those extra energy bursts for special occasions.

I notice that pain killing effect on longer rides so my rule here is that if it feels too comfortable I make sure I concentrate on my spinning even more.


----------



## fossyant (26 Apr 2012)

Exercise is generally very good for arthritis. Cycling and swimming and other non impact sport are very good. Also the stronger the muscles around the affected joint, the 'easier' the condition becomes pain wise.


----------



## ColinJ (26 Apr 2012)

I have some osteoarthritis in both hips and I also have a varicose vein in the top of my right leg. Until recently I have been able to get along okay by limiting the range of movement of my legs - I'll never deliberately do the splits again, and I have to be careful getting on and off the bike! I always aim to use low gears on my bike and spin. I had to give up running - I never ran huge distances but I did like to go for a 3 or 4 mile trot over the local hills now and then. 

I also have to try and reduce pressure on the vein, which was partly caused by doing a long ride with excessively tight leg warmers on.



albion said:


> Always spin and keep those extra energy bursts for special occasions.


I was getting on nicely just spinning away, but on the last two forum rides sudden sprints did for me. I got a rush of blood to the head and pushed a bit too hard. This led to excruciating pain in the area of my right hip in the latter stages of the rides. I don't know if it was the joint or the vein or maybe a combination of the two. All I know is that I need to be more careful or I'll be needing surgery on the hip and/or vein sooner rather than later!

Gaz - my answer to your question is a cautious 'yes', but you've got to hold yourself back a bit. You could have the strongest muscles in the world but they wouldn't be much use if the bones and joints they are powering were falling apart!


----------



## gb155 (27 Apr 2012)

ColinJ said:


> I have some osteoarthritis in both hips and I also have a varicose vein in the top of my right leg. Until recently I have been able to get along okay by limiting the range of movement of my legs - I'll never deliberately do the splits again, and I have to be careful getting on and off the bike! I always aim to use low gears on my bike and spin. I had to give up running - I never ran huge distances but I did like to go for a 3 or 4 mile trot over the local hills now and then.
> 
> I also have to try and reduce pressure on the vein, which was partly caused by doing a long ride with excessively tight leg warmers on.
> 
> ...


 

Thanks Colin/All

It's not yet confirmed but its not looking like I can dodge this one TBH

Was sh1tt1ng bricks that I'd be off the bike. So lets await the X-Ray results and take it from there

The damage was done when I was 40 stone , now its coming back to bite me in the a$$


----------



## gb155 (27 Apr 2012)

_Just to add, I assume that riding single speed / fixed wouldn't be a good idea from now on ?_


----------



## fossyant (27 Apr 2012)

gb155 said:


> _Just to add, I assume that riding single speed / fixed wouldn't be a good idea from now on ?_


 
Makes no difference.

More bike riding would be good !


----------



## ColinJ (27 Apr 2012)

gb155 said:


> The damage was done when I was 40 stone , now its coming back to bite me in the a$$


I can really feel the strain that being 16 stone is putting on me, so I can only imagine what being 40 stone did to you!

I hope that the outcome for you is good. As for me - I think I need to learn from your fine example, get stuck in and shed 25% of my bodyweight!


----------



## gb155 (28 Apr 2012)

fossyant said:


> Makes no difference.
> 
> *More bike riding would be good !*


 
Best thing I've heard all week


----------



## gb155 (28 Apr 2012)

ColinJ said:


> I can really feel the strain that being 16 stone is putting on me, so I can only imagine what being 40 stone did to you!
> 
> I hope that the outcome for you is good. As for me - I think I need to learn from your fine example, get stuck in and shed 25% of my bodyweight!


 
Seems you and I have a lot in common 

Must arrange a ride together this summer


----------



## gb155 (28 Apr 2012)

Oi AND you Pot's​


----------



## toroddf (28 Apr 2012)

I got arthritis myself in both my legs and has done 800 miles so far this year. So yes, it can be done and I have had no ill effects of it. It is actually far easier to do long bikerides than walk 1-2 miles. The reason is that the body is being supported by the bike instead of the legs.

And yes, bike riding has done me and my health a lot of good. If I had given up bikeriding, my life would had been a lot more painful. So get on a bike and do a lot of bikeriding. It will improve both your health and your life.

Btw as you can see on my picture, I am some stones overweight. 7 stones, to be precise. So I am in the same boat as you, gb155.


----------



## potsy (28 Apr 2012)

gb155 said:


> Oi AND you Pot's​


No show without Punch


----------



## gb155 (28 Apr 2012)

potsy said:


> No show without Punch




Yes Judy :confused:


----------



## gb155 (28 Apr 2012)

toroddf said:


> I got arthritis myself in both my legs and has done 800 miles so far this year. So yes, it can be done and I have had no ill effects of it. It is actually far easier to do long bikerides than walk 1-2 miles. The reason is that the body is being supported by the bike instead of the legs.
> 
> And yes, bike riding has done me and my health a lot of good. If I had given up bikeriding, my life would had been a lot more painful. So get on a bike and do a lot of bikeriding. It will improve both your health and your life.
> 
> Btw as you can see on my picture, I am some stones overweight. 7 stones, to be precise. So I am in the same boat as you, gb155.




Thanks for sharing but I don't think I can be described as 7stone overwight anymore


----------



## potsy (28 Apr 2012)

gb155 said:


> Thanks for sharing but I don't think I can be described as 7stone overwight anymore


Think he was talking about Colin


----------



## gb155 (28 Apr 2012)

potsy said:


> Think he was talking about Colin




But he ends with " IM IN THE SAME BOAT AS YOU GB155" :confused:


----------



## ColinJ (28 Apr 2012)

potsy said:


> Think he was talking about Colin


 
Oi - 3 stone from a health viewpoint, 3.5 - 4.0 for best cycling fitness!


----------



## ColinJ (28 Apr 2012)

gb155 said:


> But he ends with " IM IN THE SAME BOAT AS YOU GB155" :confused:


And I don't think he realises that you already 'got on your bike' either!


----------



## avsd (28 Apr 2012)

Gaz - given what you have already done with your life cycling with arthritis will be straightforward. I have had hip issues for quite a few years and cycling helps alot. As others have said low gear. The other advice I would give is DON'T FALL OFF but if you do just get back on. Best Wishes


----------



## toroddf (28 Apr 2012)

Seems like I have created confusion here at the same time as I have become confused too. I meant gb155 as I have lost some stones too after taking up serious bikeriding after a slump in 2003-04 where I reached 30 stones. Now, I am down to 20 and have around 7 to go before I reach what NHS has said is my normal weight (I disagree... 5 stones will be enough). Hence my boat remark.


----------



## gb155 (29 Apr 2012)

avsd said:


> Gaz - given what you have already done with your life cycling with arthritis will be straightforward. I have had hip issues for quite a few years and cycling helps alot. As others have said low gear. The other advice I would give is DON'T FALL OFF but if you do just get back on. Best Wishes




Falling off is something I do pretty well lol


----------



## henshaw11 (1 May 2012)

In addition to the above:
the bad news (no surprise there)...
http://road.cc/content/news/10471-cyclists-more-likely-develop-arthritis-knees-according-research
but the good news (kinda what's been said upthread)..
http://road.cc/content/news/49150-r...is-and-reduce-effects-says-consultant-surgeon
- so that sounds like *not* cycling's not an option !


----------



## toroddf (3 May 2012)

henshaw11 said:


> http://road.cc/content/news/49150-r...is-and-reduce-effects-says-consultant-surgeon
> - so that sounds like *not* cycling's not an option !


 
That is excactly the message I have been given too by my local arthritis specialist. Hence, I have been doing a lot of cycling since I got that message back in February last year. And this "treatment" really work.


----------



## gb155 (3 May 2012)

Back on the bike for 3/4days this week and already can feel an improvement on pain


----------



## toroddf (4 May 2012)

gb155 said:


> Back on the bike for 3/4days this week and already can feel an improvement on pain


 
Don't forget that the brain also produce it's own painkiller during bikeriding which is very effective against arthritis. For me; bikeriding is far better than having a pity-little-me in my bed. And that goes against all our instincts. But that is the solution.


----------



## fossyant (4 May 2012)

toroddf said:


> Don't forget that the brain also produce it's own painkiller during bikeriding which is very effective against arthritis. For me; bikeriding is far better than having a pity-little-me in my bed. And that goes against all our instincts. But that is the solution.



This is very true. My shoulder is bad when I relax, but it's fine riding as everything else hurts more.


----------



## gb155 (9 May 2012)

Yeah and the pain of pushing myself hard eclipse the pain of the hip during a ride.... Just not when I'm not riding


----------



## fossyant (9 May 2012)

Worth trying glucosamine, Calcium, vitamin d and cod liver oil tablets, can't do any harm.

Glucosamine works for some folk - if it does, get it on-line as it's cheaper (from Jersey). Takes a few months apparently for you to feel the benefit.


----------



## Herzog (9 May 2012)

gb155 said:


> Yeah and the pain of pushing myself hard eclipse the pain of the hip during a ride.... Just not when I'm not riding


 
Whatever you do, listen to your body. Discomfort is one thing, pain is another. The former is part of training whereas the later is a sign that you may be doing more damage (which will eventually catch up with you). It's easy to say, but hard to do (I speak from experience), but going balls out all the time is not a formula for success.

And as Fossyant wrote, give glucosamine a shot...


----------



## gb155 (9 May 2012)

fossyant said:


> Worth trying glucosamine, Calcium, vitamin d and cod liver oil tablets, can't do any harm.
> 
> Glucosamine works for some folk - if it does, get it on-line as it's cheaper (from Jersey). Takes a few months apparently for you to feel the benefit.




Thanks dude I'll check it out


----------



## avsd (9 May 2012)

gb155 said:


> Back on the bike for 3/4days this week and already can feel an improvement on pain


 
Good news - keep it steady don't go mad you have nothing left to prove to anyone including yourself. You are already a legend


----------



## gb155 (10 May 2012)

Xrays ate back and totally clear 

Really confused as to why on some days I can't put any weight on one or both legs when walking due to pain in the hip area


----------



## ColinJ (10 May 2012)

gb155 said:


> Xrays ate back and totally clear


That sounds like good news Gaz!


gb155 said:


> Really confused as to why on some days I can't put any weight on one or both legs when walking due to pain in the hip area


Ah, now that is sounding very similar to a problem that my ex suffers from ...

A few days after overdoing a stretch, she suddenly suffered 'hip pain' so bad that she had to crawl across the floor to the phone to summon help. It took months and many visits to the doctor before a referral to a physiotherapist came up with the answer. The pain was experienced in the hip area but it was actually being caused by damage to the Psoas muscle causing extremely painful spasms - read this.

Obviously you should still seek professional advice, but that information might give you a head start and save you the kind of delays that my ex had to suffer! She now has some exercises to do to keep her pain-free. (I imagine that she is doing them today because the problem flared up again yesterday when she carried a heavy armchair upstairs without help!) It wouldn't hurt you to try some of those exercises and see if they help.


----------



## gb155 (11 May 2012)

ColinJ said:


> That sounds like good news Gaz!
> 
> Ah, now that is sounding very similar to a problem that my ex suffers from ...
> 
> ...




That really does strike a chord mate. Thanks so much. Seeiodoc next week. Let's see where we go from here


----------



## Hicky (11 May 2012)

MTFU.....


----------



## petersull (22 Sep 2016)

I have arthritis in both hips and lower back. OK when I cycle I do get discomfort but not so much pain. I can't go up 10 stairs without having to stop, and the same with walking up a hill.


----------



## postman (22 Sep 2016)

From one who was put on light duties at work,via the Consultant at Leeds Gen Infirmary.Yes you can,That was back in 2003.Still going strong,but slow.


----------



## fossyant (22 Sep 2016)

My dad finds cycling about easier than walking.


----------



## uclown2002 (22 Sep 2016)

Holy Thread Resurrection


----------



## youngoldbloke (23 Sep 2016)

My increasing hip pain was eventually diagnosed (MRI) as being due to a tear in the labrum, the cartilage lining the hip socket. Every pedal stroke was irritating it. I had some age related arthritis in the hips anyway, but until a year or two ago cycling was a much more pain free activity than walking. I now have a nice new ceramic and plastic hip joint, just over 10 weeks in and I'm back on the bike again.


----------



## Pale Rider (23 Sep 2016)

I have one replaced hip due to arthritis and the other one is going the same way.

Riding the bike is no problem, but getting on and off is a bit awkward due to restricted movement.

In the last few weeks before the replacement, the only bike I could get on was my Brompton, and even that was only with it lying down.


----------

