Osteoarthritis and Running?

I'm curious to see the answers to this one. I struggle with knee pain on and off. I've been a daily walker since I was about 16 (now 37). But, I've taken up jogging in the last six months and I've noticed the increase in knee pain. I tried new shoes (for stability and overpronation) and they helped some. But, on a muggy, pre-rainy day, I certainly feel about 60.

Hi!
What is your goal?
If you are trying to lose weight running is not the only option and not necessarily the best option.
I've ran for years, and never could lose the 10-15 lbs that piled on as I aged.

[I can go about a mile and the pain becomes pretty intense and I have to limp back. Walking is not nearly as harsh for me. If I have an esecially busy week with a lot of walking I pay for it, but just everyday gettin' around usually doesn't bother me too much. I know what you mean about feeling 60. I was sitting outside enjoying the beautiful day while awaiting my appointments and noticed many people a lot older than me walking with no difficulties at all and I became a little jealous!
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I can relate to that. BTW, I AM 63! I was actually teaching a karate class evenings after my day job, and I would run almost every evening after that. It always seemed to me that jogging didn't hurt my knees as much as walking at a brisk pace. I mentioned that to a chiropractor friend and he said it was because my knees stayed bent most of the time when I was jogging, so there wasn't as much pressure on my joints. Then at age 58 I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia. I've had a cortisone shot in one knee that really helped. Hurts bad going in, but within 24 hours, my knee was completely back to normal and hasn't really bothered me that much since. The rheumatologist says I shouldn't jog, but should walk at least 30 minutes a day three days a week. I do it more often than that, but sometimes I "cheat" and jog a bit. I can still feel the pressure begin to ease up when I change from a brisk walk to "gentle jogging"! Who knows? Guess we all have a unique body. If your doc won't give you the cortisone shots, maybe some Aspercreme (I use a lot of that!) will ease the pain a bit.
Best of success.
Marti in Kentucky

I had a physical today with the DVA and, for the most part, received a clean bill of health. In fact, my blood pressure was back to normal (40 pounds ago I was ALWAYS a little high). Yahoo, good news! However, I have been having chronic knee pain and the doctor says I have osteoarthritis in both knees. He asked me what branch I was in (Army) and he says this is fairly typical and is attributeable to the running! Sooo...for you runners out there...hows come ya'll don't end up with this problem? I was in a combat arms unit, so we DID run a lot...but not as much as some of you hard core runners. In fact, the longest run I recall doing was only 11 miles and it was a fun run at that (own pace). Furthermore, if running is so harsh, why do it at all? I guess I am a little dismayed, according to the doc there is no fix for the problem, just work around it. So, at age 37, I hobble around like someone twice my age. :grumble:

I've dealt with bad knee pain in the past....gone to an ortho doc and gotten MRI's..it shows the cartilage wearing down he mentioned needing to strengthen my leg muscles to better give support to the knees...so they take less brunt. The changes I've made between weight loss and adding weights to my routine have done a world of good, as long as I keep them up regularly...no more knee pain!! :happy:

I do cardio alot of water aerobics (less joint impact than floor aerobics, plus I love the water!)....but it's not until I added strength training to my regime that the pain not only diminished but vanished....I then recalled the doc telling me it would help to build up the muscles above and below my knees (calf and thigh). For me strength training 3 times a week has been simply what my body needed to make the change. Also I live on the 3rd floor so doing the stairs used to get a bit challenging to say the least...now I find I run up the stairs and down again with no more pain, it really still amazes me to look back to recalling the pain I used to feel.

Occasionally I take Naproxen (Aleve..that sort of thing on weather day) and one thing I never am without is water!! Love love love my water...I think that has alot to do with it too...keeps the joints lubed in our bodies! :drinker: :happy:

a little bit more about me..

I know this is someone else's thread, but as others have posted, it does have impact on my running (ha,ha, no pun intended).

I wish the increase in leg strength had worked for me. It was also the first recommendation made to me. At some point though, it must be too much. Leg strength is crucial for my job. I've lifted more weights than I care to think about, and continue to lift moderately heavy weights. No knee pain during the workouts, but it didn't improve anything during my running.

I didn't notice any difference with water, but I wasn't paying attention to that. Next time I'm in that position, I will. If it does make a difference, then I'm game. Thanks for that recommendation, Fitnesschick!

Thanks for the info about the recent studies in runners. I'll have to look at those. I wonder if that is per person, per miles moved, or has anything to do with other activities. Were these people compared with other athletes (i.e. weight lifters) or Joe Q Public? It sounds like a very interesting study.

In the end, it came down to proper stretching for me and the right shoes. More like a band-aid than a fix it seems now. But I can't stress enough the difference that the shoes made for me. Instant change.

Rumor has it you only get a certain amount of cortisone shots in your lifetime and they dissolve cartilage... Don't know if this is true, but my choice would be to avoid them.

Hi,

I just got back from a ortho surgeon myself. Osteo arthitis in both knees. I had an injury about 5 yrs ago which has just got worse over the years...especially with downhills and stairs. the original injury was in my right leg, but my left knee was the one that swelled recently, and I couldn't walk on it.

I had only started running about 6 months in conjunction with weight training on the legs. I never really got to run though, as I kept injuring my knees just walking ~ upstairs at the train station ~ right knee...and just sleeping on the left knee, which still doesn't straighten.

I was "trying" to run to pass a physical agility test for law enforcement. Doc said no running and no cure. ..and probable knee replacemnts before 50.
But since then I have got a lot of input from others and a few with the same problems. The thread that is most common is to find a "sports medicine" doc and a "sports medicine" physio person.

So I am going for a 2nd opinion with a sports med doc......just have to find one.:-):-)

Will let you know.