Recovery after crash

numminummi said:

Yesterday i crashed down a mountain and fell hard on my right knee. Other than that it only gave a lot of nicely peeled skin. The x-ray showed no fractures but the doctor still told me to take 1-2 weeks of the bike and then start slowly. But, if there are no fractures wouldn't it be okay to train even though there a still some pain from the fall? Of course not doing hard intervals before the pain is gone.

Obviously the anonymous people on this forum will know more than a doctor, just as you will. Yeah, it's probably best not to heed medical advice at all. Surely punters on a bike forum will no more than people trained and experienced in delivering medical care.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by alienator [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Obviously the anonymous people on this forum will know more than a doctor, just as you will.

I agree with alienator on this. I always puzzles me when I see people looking for confirmation about not following sound medical advice.

It's sometimes tough to follow the doctors advice... I feel your pain. Well... actually I don't feel your pain.... but I understand your wish to get back on the bike. There are other ways to train! I'd use the time to read a couple cycling/fitness books... and maybe do some upper body core exercises.

Impact injuries can damage more than just the skin and bones. Your Central Nervous System takes a shot and can be rattled pretty well. I would follow the Doc's advice unless you're training for The Tour. Rest and recreate in another mode for the prescribed time. Knees, etc., need time to heal - what micro damage was done ? With use, what inflammation will impede healing, what scar tissue will form, what tears will begin to encyst ? Orthopedic injuries require, ice at first, immobilization, and rest for proper healing. The Doc knows that , so he is giving you his best advice. You don't know it, so you are tempted to ignore. Heed his words.

and don't forget the potential tendon damage,
now you feel muscle pain but you can't distinguish if the pain comes from the muscles or the tendons.
If you try to stress an already slightly injured tendon the only thing you will achieve is to make it even worse.
So, take a few weeks off and when the pain is gone you get back to the bike.

Take any medications given by the doc and follow what they had to say in terms of rest and post-crash treatment.

Ultimately it is you that has to decide when to ride. If after a few days you notice little pain other than that caused by the road rash then pedal easily in a small gear just to get out and get some fresh air. Things will heal faster if you put your body under less stress. Training is stress.

I've had some pretty serious knee problems in the past. You can try to cycle for half an hour on easy mode to check if you are ready for some more. However if you feel any aching or unusual small pain in the knee then keep the 2 week rest and do other training. I have ignored it in the past and at it's peak or low depending how you look at it i needed to take rest every 10 minutes walking and walking stairs did hurt!

Since that moment i have been carefull on the knees you should be too!

Doctors often give medical advice for the average Joe (at least here they do). A serieus cyclist is not an average recovering person an can handle a bit more though.