Running and Arthritis... Should I stop?
If you have Arthritis should you stop running? What about if you want to prevent Arthritis in the future? Will running damage my knees?
Is running even good exercise?
Yes!
There are a lot of studies that have looked at running as a form of exercise and if it is effective. This is due both to the widespread popularity of running and also the small volume it takes to have a significant impact on health. Studies have found between a 30-40% reduction in mortality (death) from all causes and a 45% reduction in mortality from cardiovascular disease from running 5-10 minutes a day even at a slow speed!
When compared to walking, the benefits of running are even more significant. Even if you run for less time than you walk, you will still generate the same benefits. One study found that a 5-minute run has the same benefits as a 15-minute walk!
The only downside to running is that it has a higher risk of soft tissue injuries. However, evidence suggests that most of these injuries stem from overuse, so a sensible graded approach to exercise and adequate recovery time can help prevent injury.
Does running cause osteoarthritis?
No!
In recreational runners running has not been found to have any causative effect with the development of osteoarthritis. Several studies back up the fact that exercise in general is a good evidence-based management strategy for osteoarthritis.
Studies have even shown that runners have actually less risk of developing hip and knee osteoarthritis when compared to non-runners, however statistically runners tend to be healthier in general with lower rates of other factors that influence joint health such as smoking and alcohol intake.
However, remember I keep using the term recreational runners? Well, that is because there is a link to dose here with running. Elite runners (those who have competed at world championships, European championships and the Olympic games) did show higher levels of knee osteoarthritis compared with non-runners. As the paper also states, for the vast majority of people running is likely to actually have a positive impact and should be encouraged. I added this in as it's important to see all sides.
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What about running if you have osteoarthritis?
This is still an evolving area of research. However, current evidence suggests that there is no increase in the effects of osteoarthritis in recreational runners. In fact, many studies found that patients who ran with osteoarthritis reported better knee pain than those who did not run.
People also report better outcomes when running when osteoarthritis compared to non-runners and the conclusion from one paper is even that it might have a protective effect on the knees with another study reporting that there was a significantly lower risk of runners who had osteoarthritis progressing to a total knee replacement compared with non-runners.
It's essential to note that an increase in the volume and intensity of running has not been linked to better health outcomes overall. Runners with osteoarthritis tend to self-select lower-intensity and shorter sessions, which is still beneficial and should be encouraged.
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