Running and joint pain?

Question

ive been running for a few weeks, and now my legs get stiff when i sit for awhile. not sore muscles, just stiff joints. i am 25, this isn't natural! i get plenty of stretching, water, and have a very healthy diet. is there a supplement or anything else you all recommend?

Answer 1

try different running shoes. sometimes you need to strengthen your joints and tendons without the pounding that running does to them. try biking and swimming. it will definitely strengthen your joints and tendons without pounding them.

Answer 2

I can't add much more than running dad, but forefoot running may help you.

I'm 44 and training for Ironman. Over the past two years, I have dedicated myself you landing more toward the ball of my feet than on my heels. I used to get knee pain after 10 mile that was unbearable. Now, 20 miles runs are a breeze...pain wise!

Think in terms of how you would land if you jumped off a bench. You wouldn't land on your heels, you'd land on the balls of your feet and absorb the shock with your knees and hips.

You may be driving your heels into the ground which is transferring the force straight up into you knees and hips.

Running dad could not have been more correct about the shoes. Get a foot strike analysis done and let them recommend a proper fitting and structured shoe.

Running should be fun even after you finish!

Answer 3

..

I'll assume that you are running wearing what you think are good-fitting, comfortable, not worn-down running shoes.  More on this in a bit.

***Some would say glucosamine and chondroitin, combined, will alleviate joint pain.  Others recommend DMSO solo, or combined with a topical analgesic (e.g., Capazine or other jalapeno-based cream).

But these OTC or "natural" remedies may be worth considering only if yours has been a chronic problem over a long period of time.

If it is truly your joints that are bothering you, you would be describing an ache that originates in the end of your bones and emanates through the synovial capsule - the joint membrane and fluid that surround the articulating bones, e.g., the hip bone and the thigh bone; or the thigh bone, knee bone (patella) and lower leg bones.  It's your bones that hurt!

If this is the case (and BTW this is not a medical diagnosis), then I suspect there is something wrong in your shoes, the surface you are running on, how frequently and/or how far you are running as a beginner, your gait including your foot strike . . .

So, first thing:  if you are not wearing quality running shoes, go to a running specialty shop, get advice, get fitted.  Good shops hire experienced runners; the best do a gait analysis.

And if you want to gently experiment, try the following.

-run every other day, and no more than 2 to 3 miles per day for another month, comfortably and not too quickly.  Consider a non-impact aerobic exercise on the alternate days - swimming, bicycling.  Try this for another month, albeit gently, gently.

-run on a surface softer than the one you are running on now, but avoid sand (too much strain on the Achilles tendon for most runners, let alone a novice).  Run on grass, or crushed limestone, or a wood chip trail, or even a rubberized track (boring).  Avoid concrete.  Choose even asphalt (absorbs 15% more impact = 15% softer) over concrete.

And if getting into a great pair of shoes that work for your feet and your gait ... and cutting back on intensity and duration does not work ... then you likely will have to seek the advice of a sports medical professional.  

Regards,

Running_Dad