|
|
Back to Archive Index |
 NOVEMBER 11, 2004 Backward Cycling: Good and Bad for Knee Problems Backward or reverse pedaling on a bicycle, or retro-cycling, may help if you have knee cartilage damage or osteoarthritis, but not if you have knee ligament damage or have had surgical reconstruction. Many physical therapists use retro-cycling in their rehabilitation protocols for patients with knee injuries. A backward gait has been associated with lower loads on the knee joint compared to normal walking or jogging. According to research conducted at the Palo Alto Health Care System in Palo Alto, CA, retro-cycling may be appropriate for people with certain knee conditions, but potentially unsafe for others, according to Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D., Chief Exercise Physiologist at the American Council on Exercise. He cites the research in the November/December 2004 issue of ACE FitnessMatters, one of the exercise watchdog's publications. Based on the loads on the knee in both retro-cycling and normal, forward pedaling, "it may be beneficial for individuals with menisci (cartilage) damage or osteoarthritis to engage in retro-cycling. Backward pedaling can, however, produce higher compressive forces between the patella (knee) and tibia (shin), compared to forward pedaling, and therefore is probably not the best choice for people experiencing patellofemoral pain or recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury or surgical reconstruction," wrote Bryant. |
|
|
|
Disclaimer and Copyright · Site design by Marketorial.com
|