Does Daily Running Cause Arthritis?

You may hear from a family member: "If you keep running, you're going to wear down your bones."

But is it true? Will you get arthritis from all your daily runs?

According to Mark A. Slabaugh, M.D., an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon with Sports Medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, the short answer is no, so you can keep logging those miles and training for your upcoming race.

"There's no clear link between running and arthritis," Dr. Slabaugh said. "The things that do influence arthritis are your weight, genetics plays a very, very strong component, and then also some other medical comorbidities, such as diabetes and some of the other medical conditions that someone might have. But really, running in and of itself does not infer an increased risk of arthritis."

Dr. Slabaugh has patients in their 70’s who are able to run and enjoy it, but noted that as you age, your arthritis risk does increase. That’s why it is important to cross-train. Some of his recommendations include biking, swimming or using the elliptical in addition to running.

View Mercy sports medicine and orthopedic surgeon and expert Dr. Mark Slabaugh's interview regarding running and arthritis.