Run Well by Juliet McGrattan (reading books for 5 year olds .TXT) 📕

doctors won’t usually order an x-ray when they suspect OA, because it can be unhelpful.

OA used to be called the ‘wear and tear’ arthritis, but this implies someone has worn out their joints through being active. Really it should be called the ‘wear and repair’ arthritis, because your joint is changing and adapting in order to keep it mobile and flexible. The worst thing you can do if you have OA is to avoid using your joint through fear of wearing it out further.

There’s good evidence that exercise should be used as a treatment for OA. Resistance exercises are particularly helpful for reducing pain and stiffness, and a training plan containing flexibility and aerobic exercise, as well as strength work, is most likely to improve pain and maintain function in the knee. All exercises need to be done consistently and regularly or the effect will wear off. Physical activity can work as well as, and in some cases better than, pain medications in OA, and is clearly a safer and better long-term option.

Exercise is definitely essential for your future joint health, but how your OA is going to affect your running depends on the severity of your condition and the degree of pain that you have. This is a very individual thing and you will need to discuss it with your doctor. If you have severe OA with little or no meniscus left (the menisci are the shock-absorbing pads in the knee joint) then effectively you have bone on bone contact and running may not be advised. If, however, you have mild disease with few symptoms then running, alongside lots of strength and flexibility work, may be a good way forward for you. Consider including some low-impact cross training such as cycling or swimming into your training plan, running off road when you can to reduce impact and adding in some extra recovery days. Be guided by any pain or swelling and increase or decrease your activities accordingly. Don’t immediately despair. With advice, trial and error and determination, a diagnosis of OA doesn’t always mean the end of your running career.

Real-life runners

When the surgeon told me I must not try to run again after a knee replacement, I didn’t disobey, I just sort of forgot. After three years of cautious build-up, I was winning my age-group again. Now, two and a half years after the other knee was replaced, I’m back to age-graded 80 per cent. It takes care, patience and a touch of stubbornness, but at 80 I’m a runner again. And the latest medical research agrees with me.

Roger Robinson, former England and New Zealand international, author of When Running Made History and winner of an award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons for his writing about running on knee replacements

Did you know?

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It affects around 8.5 million people in the UK and is one of the leading causes of pain and disability worldwide.

Q Will running help prevent osteoporosis?

A Weight-bearing exercises such as running are perfect for strengthening bones, because the jolt on impact with the ground stimulates bone production. Bones are constantly being made by cells called osteoblasts and broken down by osteoclasts, so we need to make sure that the formation exceeds the destruction in order to maintain our bone mass. Exercise is an ideal way to do this and as well as weight-bearing exercise, muscle-strengthening exercises will improve bone health too. When you’re using a muscle against resistance such as with a weight or resistance band, the tendon, which attaches the muscle to bone, tugs on the bone, which stimulates bone formation.

Osteoporosis is a condition that affects approximately one in three women and one in 12 men. When bone destruction exceeds bone formation, then bone mass reduces. Reduced bone mass is called osteopenia and, when it falls below a certain level, osteoporosis is diagnosed. The bones are weaker, more fragile and prone to fracture with minimal or no trauma. Common bones to break include the wrist, spine and hips, and all can have significant consequences on an individual’s life and future, including the possibility of long-term pain and reduced mobility, so we need to do all we can to prevent osteoporosis.

Q Is it OK to run if I have osteoporosis?

A Running is a great impact activity for maintaining bone mass, but if you have established osteoporosis then you will need to get individual advice from your doctor. Most people will be able to carry on running. Exercise is an important part of your treatment and by exercising more you may actually see an improvement in your bone mass. Occasionally, if you have more advanced disease, particularly in your spine, then your doctor may feel the risks of running outweigh the benefits and you will have to adapt what you do. There’s a great factsheet on exercising with osteoporosis available online from the Royal Osteoporosis Society. It explains how important exercise is if you have osteoporosis and gives good advice about exercising safely.

Did you know?

By the age of 18 you will have 90 per cent of your bone mass. It reaches its peak strength around 30 with men reaching a higher bone mass than women. Bone mass then gradually declines as you age, with a sharp drop in women around the time of the menopause. Women tend to lose bone from a younger age and at a faster rate than men.

Q What are shin splints?

A The answer to this isn’t as straightforward as you may think, because we don’t actually know! Some runners, particularly beginners and those who have rapidly increased their mileage, develop pain and tenderness in the shin area on the front of their lower legs. Shin splints are also called medial tibial stress syndrome. The tibia is the name of the larger of the two bones in the lower leg and the medial side is the inner part where the pain is most often felt. The