Exercise with a Clunking Knee

[monroesoilman]

Biker here (Ex?)
After meniscus repair on (former) good knee Doc found tears on medial and a mess on lateral side. Yuck. Doc prescribed no PT, just an old photocopy of a couple of exercises. Other knee is OA knee, level 3.
After some 10 weeks, started back in on stationary and then road bike, did maybe a dozen rides, got miles back up to 30 or so, speed was getting back too, slow on hills though. One day at mile 18 I thought my bike crank had spun it bearings as I could hear a, "pop, pop, pop", mechanical sound, really quite loud. Of course, it was the knee. Went to the doc, he said it was swollen, gave me a cortisone shot, told me to cut exercise back 30%.

Cut bait with Doc, had GP give me Synvisc shots, walk better, he said lay off exercise for a month so the shots have a chance. He found 27 cc fluid on bad knee before shot #1.

So, now I'm afraid to exercise at all. Don't want to trash the knee which audibly clicks/clunks every peddle spin as I am now walking mostly w/o a limp on level ground. Anyone have experience with a knee like this? Will i speed up OA by cycling?

[lady]

I have noticed riding my road bike kills my knee but stationary is not as bad. Not sure if it will speed up OA. I have always been under the impression biking is best. But if your exerpiencing pain I would stop and talk to your doc.  Good luck. I love to bike and hike and Its a bumma that Ican't do it as much as I would like. Or that I pay big time afterwards. I hope you can get back on the road.

[eaglemom]

I just came from the os and have what his answer's are concerning exercise.  Water / swimming, recumbent bike, elliptical machine (I was very surprised at that one, and finally walking.  He says to do 50% of what you think you can do for 1 week, then go up 10% IF you are totally pain free all day.  Its all about letting the knee very slowly adjust to how you are now using it.  Also he swears by anti-inflammation meds (Aleve, Motin, Advil) used daily.  Baby steps, and I'm not so good at that. eagle

[What a pain in the]

I get a click out of my knee (which has mild OA post TPF in 1997) on every downstroke.  I've not received professional advice, but I'm 32, I've given up doing most of the sports I love, if I cant do mountain biking that leaves me pretty much with swimming, which I hate.  So I tend to just drown out the click with an Ipod and hope the benefit of the strengthening going on outweighs the damage.  I should add, it's a light, tinny click like when you bend one of your fingers back rather than a deep clunk.  I do find I get a bit of aching after cycling, but I often have aching anyway so it's hard to say.

[D_Morgan]

Well It is important to note that exercise with clunking knee is not recommended by the health experts because of the fact that there is a risk of more problem in your knee while exercising . So the best way is to discuss with doctor for better advice and solution to this problem .