Will Going Running Hurt My Knees?
Many people stay away from running because they fear it will hurt their knees. It is a very popular belief that running puts a great deal of strain and pressure on the knee joints and can cause substantial long-term damage. So is this true? Will going running really hurt your knees?
There has been a good deal of recent research into this very issue, and the results might just surprise you. Several studies have now found that the quite the opposite might be true; running might actually be good for your joints. The studies were based on information collected from runners that were followed for between ten and twenty years, and found that running appeared to protect the knee joint, and no new “major internal damage” occurred to the knee from running.
Another study conducted by Stanford University followed a group of runners for a period of twenty years as well as a control group of non-runners. At the onset of the study seven percent of the study group had mildly arthritic knees, and zero percent of the control group had arthritic knees. At the conclusion of the study, the runners’ knees were found to actually be healthier than the control groups’ knees, and only twenty percent of the runners showed arthritic changes in the knee. Thirty-two percent of the control group showed arthritic changes in their knees. Of these numbers, only two percent of the runners’ knees were found to be severely arthritic, while nearly ten percent of the control groups’ knees were found to be severely arthritic.
The researchers conducting these studies found that the key to knee health was proper loading and unloading on the knee joint. Properly carrying out a weight-bearing exercise, such as running, helps to actually condition the joint, which in turn makes it stronger. The bending and flexing of the joint helps to circulate fluid, which provides nutrition and lubrication to the surrounding tissues.
Keep in mind these findings were based upon proper loading and unloading. Running with an uneven load can cause serious injury to the knee joint, injury to the surrounding muscles, and even cause an imbalance in strength. Only when the load being carried on the knee is distributed evenly will the body responding in a positive way. This helps to disburse stress and build total strength. A sports medicine professional, or a personal trainer can evaluate your technique to ensure you are working out in the safest, most efficient way possible.
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