Knee still sore 4 weeks later, safe to ride yet?

[Sara_H]

Four weeks after I got knocked off my knee is still quite sore. I'm presuming it was just strained ligaments as there was no bruising or swelling at the time it happened, just pain.

It feels much better, but is still sore. Haven't ridden since then as I'm afraid of doing damage or slowing down the recovery.

What are other's experiences? Planning to go to GP next week if I can, but not expecting much in the way of expert advice. Will request a referral to physio but from experience this can take several weeks.

Feel quite keen to get back on the bike, absolutely sick to death of getting on the bus now. What do you all think?

 

[smokeysmoo]

Have you got a turbo trainer? If not can you borrow one from anyone?

That way you could have a pedal without putting any balance strain through your knee.

If not then all you do is see what the doc says and go from there.

Softly softly catchy monkey as the saying goes, you don't want to set yourself back by doing too much too soon.

 

[vernon]

Surely expert advice is better than keyboard folk's advice.

 

[Garethgas]

If it was me, depending on how much it really hurts, I'd do a mile or so in an easy gear just to see how it goes.
Any discomfort and I'd be home in a jiffy.
Having said that, I think Vernon's post above is the safest bet.

 

[Sara_H]

Surely expert advice is better than keyboard folk's advice.

I'm not sure Vern, I'm a med professional myself so know many doctors, physios, OT's etc. So I know that my GP's knowledge in this area is likely to be no more expert than the man on the street.

I'd like to book into a sports physio, but haven't cant the spare cash to do so at present.

 

[Crackle]

provided you don't have a major injury like a meniscus tear, you'll probably end up with strengthening exercises. The ones I have are no different to the ones I looked up online. Some will have an added purpose of correcting your patella position, like clamshells, you probably don't want them but just a decent couple of strengthening exercises to concentrate on and do well. The advice I was given was to limit the movement such that it didn't give me discomfort and that the range will increase as your knee strengthens and just to do a few exercises well.

This is quite a good website and has all the exercises I'm doing or have done http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/knee-strengthening-exercises.html

Just treat it all with caution as a lot of muscles around your knee can give you knee pain but it isn't the knee you need to work on but those muscles.

One final thing is it really depends how good the physio you see is. They have a wide range of skills and if you don't get one who specialises in knees they might not know an awful lot. Both physios I saw concentrated on one specific problem with me and didn't seem so interested in the associated muscle problems I was having, which I've ended up solving myself. I gave up on one am still seeing the NHS one but could really do with finding someone who can figure out the interplay of muscles and knee which is causing me the problem. Still at least going through the NHS, excluded anything major.

 

[Sara_H]

provided you don't have a major injury like a meniscus tear, you'll probably end up with strengthening exercises. The ones I have are no different to the ones I looked up online. Some will have an added purpose of correcting your patella position, like clamshells, you probably don't want them but just a decent couple of strengthening exercises to concentrate on and do well. The advice I was given was to limit the movement such that it didn't give me discomfort and that the range will increase as your knee strengthens and just to do a few exercises well.

This is quite a good website and has all the exercises I'm doing or have done http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/knee-strengthening-exercises.html

Just treat it all with caution as a lot of muscles around your knee can give you knee pain but it isn't the knee you need to work on but those muscles.

One final thing is it really depends how good the physio you see is. They have a wide range of skills and if you don't get one who specialises in knees they might not know an awful lot. Both physios I saw concentrated on one specific problem with me and didn't seem so interested in the associated muscle problems I was having, which I've ended up solving myself. I gave up on one am still seeing the NHS one but could really do with finding someone who can figure out the interplay of muscles and knee which is causing me the problem. Still at least going through the NHS, excluded anything major.

Thank you @Crackle, thats very helpful.

 

[Cuchilo]

provided you don't have a major injury like a meniscus tear, you'll probably end up with strengthening exercises

I had that and was told to put the seat up as high as I could and ride a bike . Slowly dropping the seat height to bend my leg more .

 

[ayceejay]

As a first DIY step I suggest that you study the anatomy of a knee to see if you can locate the pain, poke your knee about and move the knee cap to assist. Remember that the cause of the pain may not be in the knee proper. If you come to the conclusion (and to be sure a professional would help with this) that it is a muscular problem rather the a 'mechanical' problem you can do the exercises perhaps wearing a knee sleeve at first. The may be additional reaction to your 'off' in the other lrg and in your hips so don't concentrate on isolation exercises.
Disclaimer: all of this is meant as a suggestion and NOT meant to compete with professional advice or any other advice you get on CC but I hopreit helps.