Cycling For Knee Pain – Is It Good For Arthritic Knees?

For some, cycling can be the cause of knee pain. However, for others, cycling can help relieve and strengthen the knee. So, knowing this, should you start cycling for knee pain?

In this article, we look at the benefits of cycling if you suffer knee discomfort, or from Arthritic knees. So keep reading on if you want to know if cycling is good for knee pain or not!

 

Should You Start Cycling For Knee Pain – What You Should know?

Whether you are experiencing knee pain from running, or even arthritis, cycling can help strengthen and improve joint mobility. However, if you are experiencing knee pain from cycling, then it is wise to check out our article on what causes knee pain after cycling.

Many studies have shown that cycling can help to reduce symptoms of arthritis. A recent publication in the Journal of Rheumatology found that cycling helped to reduce joint pain and stiffness. The study also found that helped people that suffered from osteoarthritis.

However, you might just be dealing with knee pain from another sport such as running. Running places a huge load on our body and it’s common for many runners to deal with sore knees. Luckily for those people, they can replace their running with cycling. This will allow them to be able to prevent a decline in their cardiovascular fitness while they allow their knees to recover.

It is important to know though that if you are replacing running with cycling, you keep the intensity down while the knee recovers. That means keeping the cadence up (above 80rpm) and ideally staying away from hills. Then as the knee pain starts to disappear, you can start to place more load on it. Either by increasing the intensity or lowering the cadence.

Then once you are back running as normal, it is wise to continue cycling at least once a week. It will help keep your joints functioning as they should and continue to help strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee.

Is Cycling Good For Knee Pain?

Even though the knee plays a huge part in the pedal stroke, cycling generally is good for knee pain. But only if the intensity is kept low and your saddle position is correct.

Your saddle position dictates how much load is placed on the knee during the pedal stroke. So it is important to make sure that you aren’t sitting too high or too low. If you are unsure what your saddle heigh should be, talk to a qualified bike fitter. Alternatively, if you are on a spin bike, speak to one of the personal trainers at the gym.

Most people experience knee pain from overuse or arthritis. So for most people cycling can help relieve knee pain by increasing blood flow and improving joint mobility.

However, there are times when cycling is bad for knee pain. And that is when there is ligament damage or when the pain is too much when cycling. If this is the case you should wait to start cycling until the pain disappears.

Is Cycling Good for Arthritic Knees?

For people that deal with Arthritis, cycling is one of the best forms of exercise for Arthritic knees.

Cycling helps the joints move through the full range of motion. That means more synovial fluid is produced which then lubricates the joints and helps improve mobility around the knee.

People that suffer from Arthritic knees or osteoarthritis need a low-impact form of exercise. And that is why cycling is known to be one of the best forms of exercise.

However, if your joint pain is severe or you have a significant amount of joint damage, you may be limited to only cycling for a short time. That is when pairing cycling and swimming can be a good idea. Cycling can help strengthen the knee, while swimming can help improve overall joint mobility.

Is Cycling Good for Knee Cartilage?

Cycling is a great way to promote healthy knee cartilage. It not only helps patients recover from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears but also people suffering from arthritis.

Because cycling helps to reduce swelling and stiffness in joints, regular cycling is good for knee cartilage. So if you are experiencing knee cartilage damage, any form of non-weight bearing exercise is recommended. That means exercise like cycling or swimming is highly recommended over walking or other weight-bearing exercises.

If you are unsure whether you should cycle with cartilage damage, talk to your local doctor or physiotherapist. They can help you with some exercises and a rehabilitation program.