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It is common knowledge that exercise improves joint health. However, there is still a myth circulating in the health and exercise community that running causes or exacerbates arthritis by supposedly "wearing down" the cartilage around the joints. Some doctors and physical therapists recommend that their patients quit running. Many runners would rather take the chance of needing to face arthritis than simply quit running. They love it too much to give up. Running is more than just exercise to many. It's also a therapeutic practice similar to meditation.
Well, there is amazing news for runners. The myth that running increases the risk of arthritis has now been debunked!
A survey was conducted on participants of the 2019 and 2021 Chicago marathons. With almost 4,000 runners surveyed, this survey was the biggest survey ever conducted on marathon participants. They were asked by orthopedic researchers about their running history and whether or not they have any personal experience with arthritis. Researchers discovered that, despite the high amount of running that the participants had done, only under 8% of them had knee and/or hip arthritis.1 All of these runners with arthritis had a common reason for their arthritis that even non-runners have such as family history of arthritis, history of joint surgery or injury, high BMI, or advanced age.
With this discovery, the researchers and runners had demonstrated that there is no correlation between risk of developing arthritis and running history. The causes for developing arthritis are the same for everyone, active or inactive. Exercise does not cause arthritis.
The researchers also asked the participants if, at the time the survey was conducted, they had not stopped running regularly, whether or not they intended to participate in more marathons, and whether or not their doctor had at any point told them to quit running so much. The survey discovered that "The majority (94.2%) of runners planned to run another marathon despite 24.2% of all participants being told by a physician to do otherwise."1 Given that under 8% of participants actually had personal experience with arthritis yet almost 25% were advised by medical professionals to quit, there is an obvious need for education in the medical and exercise communities.
At Pain Science PT, we love to hear when our patients are active. Our physical therapists want our patients to keep doing whatever activity they love, including running, for exercise. Our goal is to make sure our patients can continue to be active their entire lives, especially if and when they have arthritis because we know that exercise actually improves the effects of arthritis. If you're looking for a medical professional that supports your running hobby and works with your current activity level, schedule an appointment to meet with one of our physical therapists.
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