THE MYTH OF “WEAR-AND-TEAR”
“Keep running all those miles and you will destroy your knees and hips.” This is a caution many runners hear from friends and even from physicians. Many compare the cartilage in the joints to the tires on a car. The more miles the car is driven, the more the tires wear out. Therefore, the cartilage wears out in the same way. Not true! A new study by Northwestern University researchers destroyed this myth.
Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage deteriorates, and this causes pain and stiffness. It affects 30 million people in the U.S.; some are runners, and most are not. The Northwestern study involved almost 4,000 runners. It showed no relation between hip and knee arthritis and years running, number of marathons, speed, or weekly mileage. If there is an injury to the hip or knee, this does increase the likelihood of developing arthritis. The injury may be related to running or may be totally unrelated. Family history is also a causal factor.
Unlike the tires on a car, the joints are an active, living part of the body. Exercise strengthens the muscles around the joints and increases the production of synovial fluid, which protects and lubricates the joint.
The researchers concluded: “It is concerning the number of runners who are being advised by their physicians to reduce or eliminate their running. The evidence we have so far suggests that running, for most people, is a safe activity. We need to step away from the wear-and-tear philosophy.”