Osteoarthritis & Running

There is a recently published study presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2023 Annual Meeting, regarding running and arthritis. In essence it said

Long-distance runners are often warned that they are wearing out their joints, but a new study found that running mileage, frequency, and pace were not associated with an increased risk of osteoarthritis.

However…

Runners who had undergone knee or hip surgery or had a previous hip or knee injury that prevented running were most likely to have arthritis, researchers found. Family history of arthritis, higher body mass index (BMI), and older age were also associated with increased risk of the condition.

What great news for all of you out there that love your mileage, the adrenaline of race weekend, or the casual jog on the weekend!

However, let us not scroll too quick and forget the important lesson imparted:

Respondents who had undergone knee or hip surgery had the highest risk of osteoarthritis (odds ratio [OR], 5.85; P < .0001), followed by those with a history of knee or hip injuries that prevented running (OR, 5.04; P < .0001).

If you change the landscape of a joint with surgery; osteoarthritis is a high risk event down the line.

Got a nagging low level pain after running that may come and go? That low level pain is telling you something. DON’T IGNORE IT!

Specific and individualized joint training is your best bet if you want to keep up the running into your golden days. When your body speaks to you with low level pain that is “cured” with an ibuprofen, that is a tremendous opportunity to work on the joint health and resilience. Get at it before it breaks down further!