The answer is, “yes,” “maybe” or “no.” Thus, it really depends on your situation, and fortunately, a period of relative rest may only need to be temporary.
Here’s the really good news: several recent studies have indicated that running a reasonable number of miles does not cause knee osteoarthritis and may actually have a protective effect.
If you are a runner and your knee is symptomatic, then our role is to help you reduce or eliminate your symptoms and safely return to running. We know that running has numerous health benefits, not only including protection of the joints, but also calorie burning, weight control, improvement of cardiovascular health and many mental health benefits.
As a patient though, it’s sometimes difficult to know when you need to stop running for a while, what’s a reasonable amount of running for your body and what treatment options may be available to not only reduce your symptoms, but also to protect your knees on a long-term basis.
That’s where we come in! We love treating runners and understand how you think. We typically focus on a nonsurgical and minimally-invasive approach to your care.
Physical therapy, bracing, footwear changes, custom orthotics, medications, supplements, and various injections can all play a role in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. One of the best long-term treatment options, especially for those with mild to moderate osteoarthritis, would be platelet plasma (PRP) injections. These can have a very protective effect for the knee, and not only by reducing symptoms, but also by slowing or stopping the deterioration of the cartilage within the joint. Only a couple weeks of rest are typically required after these PRP injections.
Check out a few blogs on PRP as well as running as it relates to knee osteoarthritis:
https://www.impactsportsnashville.com/blog/2023/8/5/our-top-5-treatments-for-knee-oa
https://www.impactsportsnashville.com/blog/2023/5/12/five-keys-to-successful-outcomes-with-prp-injections
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36875337/
As always, let us know if we can be of assistance to you!
F. Clarke Holmes, M.D.
