Is Running Bad for Your Knees?

I’m sure you’ve heard many times, from many different people that running is bad for your knees. As a runner for over 15 years, I’ve heard every variation imaginable of, “You will end up with arthritis!” However, new research published in the American College of Rheumatology publication Arthritis Care and Research sheds new light on this old claim.

Is Running Related to Knee Arthritis?

Over 2600 participants, with an average age of 64, participated in this study over a ten year period from 2004-2014. Researchers evaluated participants using knee x-rays, symptom assessments, and lifetime physical activity surveys. They evaluated the association between running and frequent knee pain or osteoarthritis. Symptomatic osteoarthritis required at least one knee with both x-ray findings and pain.

Running Is Bad for Your Knees – Myth.

Researchers found “no increased risk of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis among self-selected runners compared with non-runners.” Not only that, research also showed “in those without osteoarthritis, running does not appear detrimental to the knees.” What great news for runners out there! The next time you hear this false claim, you have medical research to back up your claim to the contrary. Then invite the person making the false claim out for a run.

Running & Knee Pain

While research determined that running is not associated with knee pain from arthritis, muscular injuries due to running often refer pain to the knee. Glute weakness and quadriceps tightness constitute the most common muscle imbalances causing referred pain to the knee. If you suffer with knee pain while running, we offer many additional resources. Her are some self-treatment options as well as treatments that we successful use in our clinic on a daily basis:

Running Injuries: Knee Pain

Runner’s Knee

IT Band Syndrome

Graston Technique