Does Running Cause Arthritis?

By Amby Burfoot, Runner’s World

Even ardent runners wonder if all that pounding won't eventually harm our knees, hips, or back.

My 85-year-old Aunt Marian thinks it's pretty cool that I'm a runner. Only problem: She wants me to give it up. The way she sees things, I'm doing fine now, but trouble looms. A few years down the road, I'll probably need a wheelchair. All that pounding and wear and tear; it can't do a body any good. Marian's got her share of aches and pains, and loving auntie that she is, she doesn't want me to end up in even worse shape.

I bet you've got an Aunt Marian in your life, too--a family member, or friend, or coworker who's always tsk-tsking the toll running is taking on your knees, hips, and back. You might even be worried yourself. We all know a few onetime runners forced to become swimmers, cyclists, or mall walkers. We wonder: Does the same fate await us?

The logic behind the wear-and-tear scenario can seem convincing. After all, your car eventually breaks down, even if it's a Volvo. Same for your toothbrush, and the foam in your running shoes. You'll need to replace them at some point. You understand that, and you've worked the expense into your budget. Chances are, however, that you're not so keen on the idea of replacing body parts.

The Human Response

Fortunately, your body is different. It's a biomechanical system, not a mechanical one, and those three little letters make all the difference. Your body is composed of living tissues that are constantly rebuilding themselves. Not only that, but living tissue actually grows stronger when it is used. Use is better than abuse, which includes both sedentary living and running when you're injured, which is why you shouldn't do either.

The strongest evidence that running won't condemn you to a life of pain and arthritis comes from an ongoing study of the Fifty Plus Runners Association. The study was launched in 1984 when all the runners were at least 50, and it has been updated every five years or so. Many of the runners are now in their 60s, 70s, and beyond.

The newest update was published last September in Arthritis Research & Therapy, under the title "Aerobic exercise and its impact on musculoskeletal pain in older adults: a 14-year prospective, longitudinal study." It compared the runners, who averaged about 26 miles a week, to a matched set of controls, who averaged about two miles a week. The authors noted that many observers would predict a sad outcome for the aging runners. "If running creates damage through accumulated trauma," they wrote, "then runners with about ten-fold the exposure to such trauma should have increased pain over time."