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Longest self-imposed injury break you've taken?

I thought I'd basically got on top of my left knee tracking problems a while ago but I had a  rear blow out mid corner and my pedal dug into the floor and spat me out and my knee hit something, swelled up on the top half of the knee cap(not sure as it was just a blur) and I had to lay off for a few weeks.

The knee seemed to have settled down as I was able to hold decent wattage up hills and set some half decent times but the past week or so it's gone weak as hell. The other day on the way to work I was getting pain at about 140w and I noticed my quads just weren't really wanting to fire like they should be. I'm off away for a week anyway and have managed to get a doctors appointment for about 2 weeks from now.

How long did any of you stop to heal yourself up for and how long did it take to get back 'on it'?

Also, any tips for getting the doctors to do more than say "see a physio"? All mine has done previously was just the mcmurray test for meniscus and then tell me to do away. I'm already doing all the tradition tracking exercises anyway but this problem has still flared up.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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13 comments

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Richard D | 7 years ago
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Ten months off the bike after smashing my femur against the road on a 100-mile audax last summer.  2 months non-weight bearing, 5 months on crutches, and 10 months of physio before I got back on.

And yes, the muscle wastage in the first few weeks was pretty disheartening, and things only started to improve once I was allowed to walk on it.

Although I cheated a bit, by using a recumbent exercise bike after about 6 weeks (physio not overly keen on that), hydrotherapy after ten weeks (physio keener on that), lots of exercises (cheifly performed while standing at the photocopier) and put the bike on a turbo after about 6 months (when I was finally flexible enough to get my leg over the saddle). 

My cycling is pretty well back to where it was, though the leg stil shows up various weaknesses and irritations at other times. 

 

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tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
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Severe ITB after a running/hiking week long holiday in Oct 2015. 6 months to clear up (well, enough to do something physical again). Lost all fitness, put on 10 to 12kg and gave up running. 

 

On the plus side, when I got my shit together - I got a bike and hung the trainers up for good enlightened

 

 

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HalfWheeler replied to tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
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unconstituted wrote:

Severe ITB after a running/hiking week long holiday in Oct 2015. 6 months to clear up (well, enough to do something physical again).

 

12 months with ITB syndrome for me. And that was with cycling. Real nightmare. I tried it all; massage, physio, chiro, even an arthroscopy. The month before the arthroscopy it had started to clear up so by the time I went under the knife there was nothing to see. Now just trying to recover from the arthroscopy, six months on. Apparently that takes a year!

Clusterfuck all round...

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tritecommentbot replied to HalfWheeler | 7 years ago
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HalfWheeler wrote:

unconstituted wrote:

Severe ITB after a running/hiking week long holiday in Oct 2015. 6 months to clear up (well, enough to do something physical again).

 

12 months with ITB syndrome for me. And that was with cycling. Real nightmare. I tried it all; massage, physio, chiro, even an arthroscopy. The month before the arthroscopy it had started to clear up so by the time I went under the knife there was nothing to see. Now just trying to recover from the arthroscopy, six months on. Apparently that takes a year!

Clusterfuck all round...

 

I would do the same if it hits me again so bad. Seen guys on weightweenies had it done and are happy with the results. Way better than years of on and off misery. You should make a thread next year and tell us how it worked out. Would be really interesting to see if it works without any other issues emerging. Finger's crossed that's the end for you though, wouldn't wish that crap on anyone.

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HalfWheeler replied to tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
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unconstituted wrote:

wouldn't wish that crap on anyone.

Amen brother.

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CXR94Di2 | 7 years ago
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16 weeks physically off my feet, huge amounts of atrophy in right leg. 2 years of cycling to regain lost muscle

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jaymack | 7 years ago
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I had a nasty "idiot versus ice" incident in January last year & was off of the bike for nearly 5 months. The best thing I did was to see a physio' and follow the exercise program she gave me religiously. I could barely walk for 2 months and it was hard, hard work but worthwhile. You may be able to find a good (private) phsio' through your local cycling club, shop or - yes - even your Dr's surgery. You may of course have plenty of other financial commitments (I certainly did!) but paying for physiotherapy is likely to be less expensive in the long run 'cos you'll get seen now not in 3 months time and certainly cheaper than many of the shiny bits of kit so beloved of we cyclists.

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P3t3 | 7 years ago
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Sorry to hear about your knee, I've been out since November last year, very difficult to find a replacement and ultimately I just plain haven't. However when I know you the repercussions of keeping going are likely to be very early arthritis, I can deal with a year or so out.  

Key thing with injury is to keep your chin up and not get depressed, the problem with being depressed is that it blocks you from being proactive in chasing every avenue for diagnosis and treatement at the one time you need it!  Make sure you tell yourself "OK, this is bad now, but what can I do to get better?  I know I WILL get better, I just have to wait"  

 

Hope that all  helps give persepective!

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paulrattew | 7 years ago
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I shattered the talus bone in my right ankle at the start of September (was hit by a van while out on my bike). Due to the massive amount of damage done it's going to be a very long road to recovery. I won't be weight bearing until at least mid December, so no possibility of any bike action for the rest of this year.

If I'm lucky I'll be back using a turbo, very gently to just turn the legs over (no real power at all), by the end of January. Unlikely I will be able to ride outside before next summer. All of which is really depressing me.

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FatBoyW | 7 years ago
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Silly question really as it depend on the injury.

Tendon and tracking issues - get seen and treat with great care.

 

Longest off the bike? Bust verterbrae and ribs -  Doc recommended 3 months  - but if I 'had to' then be bl***y careful  after  6 weeks went on a winter training week!

Get a bike fitting and cleat position check may help?

 

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vamper.cc | 7 years ago
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I’m now entering the second month of being ‘off-bike’ having received definitive medical advice to remove my posterior from the bike saddle for a prolonged period, lasting as long as three months, due to coccyx pain.

Just started seeign a Chiropractor which is starting to bear some fruit, but it has been annoyingly tough staring at the bike on the stand.

I wrote a long blog post about it here: https://vamper.cc/very-real-pain-in-the-arse-coccydynia/

Cheers

Matt

 

 

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Scrapples | 7 years ago
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I'm at the end of an 8 week lay off after a back injury, did a 200k on cocodamol during which i regret now! Just getting back on the turbo is killing me though.

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Jack Osbourne snr | 7 years ago
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For the sort of injury you're carrying I'd be tempted to start at a week as a minimum and work up from that.

Longest I've had was 8 weeks after a pretty bad off a couple of years ago. I was climbing the walls.

To be fair, only the last two weeks were self imposed.

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