Is Running Bad for My Joints?

You may be wondering if you should pick up running, as a hobby or an activity that you can enjoy and also get the benefits of exercise from, but are worried that running might give you arthritis or be bad for your joints. All of that repetitive pounding on the side walk cement (or grass if you're lucky to live near green spaces) can definitely make running seem like a bad idea for your knee joints, hip joints and even low back joints. Though this may be an over-simplified answer, I'll provide you an answer and then give you the reasoning and science behind it.

So the answer then is a big, honking NO. Running is NOT bad for your joints and running will NOT give you knee arthritis, hip arthritis, or low back arthritis. Now you may be thinking, "Wait a minute, I know someone who used to do a lot of running but they developed joint pain and arthritis from it!". It's true that improper warm-up and cool down, improper running technique and running shoes and improper tolerance building can cause injury. However, if running is done gradually with plenty of time to recover and not over-exert yourself (with, of course, good technique and running shoes) running actually becomes a great way to increase your joint health! What?! Yeh that's right, instead of hurting your joints running can be HEALTHY for your joints (not to mention your heart and cardiovascular health as well!). 

Let's get into the basic science of how running can actually improve your joint health. Your joints are made up of a few components: cartilage, synnovial fluid and sometimes a shock absorbing disc (like in your low back joints and your knee joints). These components work together in synchrony to provide smooth, painfree motion of your body. Any time you move a joint, synnovial fluid is secreted into the joint space and coats the cartilage in a frictionless lubrication. Synnovial fluid also acts as a nutrient carrier for your cartilage (and shock absorbing discs where applicable) and nourishes and feeds it to keep it healthy. So basically, the more healthy movement you participate in, the more nutrients your joints receive. 

There is the risk of over doing it though. When you over exert yourself, your muscles become fatigued and can no longer provide the support to your joints that is needed to maintain healthy movement. That can lead to improper joint mechanics and, thus, injury. So rest and recovery is absolutely crucial if you want to take up running, especially if you're new to it or haven't run in a long time. The best advice you can stick to when you get back into running is "do less than you think you can do" and then slowly (I emphasize slooooowly) increase the length, time and pace you run for. 

As always, if you have questions about running or if you should start running, visit Dr. Brenda Yee at Nurture Family Chiropractic in Guelph Ontario to get a personalized assessment to see if it's right for you. Happy running!!! See you around town!

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