Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPhysical TherapyStationary Bike TipsProgressing on the Bike
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Physical Therapy
Stationary Bike Tips
Progressing on the Bike
Riding a bike after knee replacement surgery may be recommended as a part of your rehabilitation treatment. In fact, most people can start riding a stationary bike in as little as two weeks after surgery.
Even if you were an avid cycler before, riding a bike after knee replacement may be awkward at first. Your physical therapist can show you how to do so safely. As your range of motion and strength improve, you will be able to move from a stationary bike to an outdoor cycle.
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Physical Therapy After Knee Replacement
Biking can be a great exerciseafter a total knee replacement (TKR) as part of yourphysical therapy. This can help to reduce pain and improve your strength andrange of motion(ROM).
The first step is typically to use acontinuous passive motion(CPM) machine to help improve the ROM in your knee. This may be done in the hospital after surgery and before starting outpatient orhome-care physical therapy.
For the first couple of weeks, one of the main goals of physical therapy is to decrease swelling and reach a full passive ROM. Your physical therapist will give you gentle exercises to help regain normal knee strength and mobility before moving on to bike riding.
Stationary Bike Riding Tips
Riding a stationary bicycle is used in physical therapy to maintain muscle tone and keep your knee flexible.
Many people can start using a stationary bicycle one to two weeks after TKR, under the guidance of a physical therapist.
Most likely, you will find that your knee ROM improves quite quickly with this method and you will soon be able to pedal around fully on the bicycle.
How do you know when you can start pedaling all the way around on the bike? In general, your knee must bend about 90 degrees to be able to fully pedal around on the bicycle. Have your physical therapist use agoniometerto check your knee ROM.
When you have reached 90 degrees of knee flexion (bending), you most likely will be able to pedal fully on the bike. Also, don’t be surprised if you find it easier to pedal backward on the bike before forwards. This is a common occurrence after TKR.
Once you are able to fully pedal on the bike, you may wish to add some light resistance to help improve the strength and endurance of your leg muscles.
Check with your physical therapist, and make sure you add a little resistance at a time. Your therapist can help you determine the right amount.
A slight increase in knee discomfort can be expected when increasing the resistance on the bike. If you start feeling a sharp pain in your knee, inform your physical therapist and decrease the resistance or stop biking.
You can expect to be able to ride a stationary bicycle one to two weeks after your total knee replacement operation. Remember that everyone is different, and your specific condition may require that you wait a bit longer before starting a bicycling program for your TKR rehabilitation.
After about four to six weeks of stationary bike riding, you may be cleared to start riding your bike outside. Be sure to check with your healthcare provider before doing so; you need to make sure it is safe for you to do after your surgery.
A Word From Verywell
While biking may be an important component to regaining ROM after TKR, be sure that you work on other exercises that your physical therapist may prescribe to help improve your strength and functional mobility like walking and stair climbing.
Byworking hard in physical therapy, both on and off the bike, you can be sure to maximize your chances of a full recovery and a rapid return to normal activity.
1 SourceVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Total Knee Replacement Exercise Guide.Additional ReadingMistry JB, Elmallah RDK, Bhave A, et al.Rehabilitative guidelines after total knee arthroplasty: a review.J Knee Surg. 2016;29(3):201-217. doi:10.1055/s-0036-1579670
1 Source
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Total Knee Replacement Exercise Guide.Additional ReadingMistry JB, Elmallah RDK, Bhave A, et al.Rehabilitative guidelines after total knee arthroplasty: a review.J Knee Surg. 2016;29(3):201-217. doi:10.1055/s-0036-1579670
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Total Knee Replacement Exercise Guide.
Mistry JB, Elmallah RDK, Bhave A, et al.Rehabilitative guidelines after total knee arthroplasty: a review.J Knee Surg. 2016;29(3):201-217. doi:10.1055/s-0036-1579670
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