Arthritis and running

[myneighbourtotoro2]

I've had psoriatic arthritis for about 7 years . In the last couple of years it got pretty bad , especially after the births of two dcs .

I'm now on medication and am sick of sitting about doing no exercise and using my Arthritis as an excuse. I used to be incredibly active and I have lost so much muscle mass in the last while that it's getting me down .

Does anyone have experience of running with inflammatory arthritis ? I've been told by the rheumatologist that exercise shouldn't cause more damage but just listen to my body which I've no problem doing.

Id love to be able to do a half marathon eventually so any advice is welcome .

[CMOTDibbler]

I guess it depends on how much joint damage you have - if you are in good shape joint wise, then following c25k initially, maybe doing each week twice to really build it slowly would work.

If you have joint damage, then you are going to need to build support muscles first. DH has massive damage to both knees, a hip, and one ankle (was offered knee replacement a few years ago, was told he'd need a hip too). He started cycling, and though he still has a lot of pain, he's now strong enough that he can jog 5km without his leg collapsing (which happened when he walked before).

It might be a good idea to find a sports physio to advise on exercises to do, whether you need specialist insoles etc

[myneighbourtotoro2]

Thanks for the reply. The rheumatologist was surprised at how little damage to my knee there actually was , just a lot of swelling really .

Yes to insoles , that's a good idea that I'll look into . I don't want to put any additional pressure on my knee .

But yes I may need to find some kind of muscle building exercises first as currently one leg looks like a toothpick

That's miserable for your dh but fair play to him getting on the bike !

[CMOTDibbler]

Cycling would be a good start - its not the same muscles, but it does work the whole leg in a controlled movement.
If you have a lot of effusion, then wearing compression tights (the sports type, not nora batty!) can help to stop it being worse after exercise. DH has a lot of problems with this.

You'll also need to get some good shoe fitting advice - go to a specialist shop with gait analysis, and go again 6 months after as your gait will change, esp if you try to have a good mid to forefoot strike.

[bigfatfeet]

I have rheumatoid arthritis and have recently started running; I also do strength training and pilates with a trainer to build up the muscles supporting my joints.

I've been fine, but I don't run too far or too fast as that seems to affect my knees and ankles, but 5k on the treadmill or the road at a reasonable pace hasn't so far done any harm.

I didn't do any exercise before I was diagnosed, so you're probably at a better starting point than I was - you learn really quickly to listen to your body and work around any pain or restricted movement. Second the recommenation about shoes - it makes a massive difference.

[myneighbourtotoro2]

Thank you both , yes muscle building should really be my first port of call it's amazing how much muscle wastage can happen so quickly . I now have the skinny leg I always wanted and I hate it !

[MrsMook]

I had a different issue, mine being SPD that out stayed it's welcome for months after pregnancy. It had me on crutches, and I couldn't lift my leg to walk up hill for months after the birth. I started formal exercise with aquafit, then when the pain reduced I took up the C25k for the first time. My fitness was pretty poor which was why I felt the need for action. I took it gradually and repeated runs several times as I was concerned about my joints and poor strength making me susceptible to injury. It took me about 3 months to do weeks 3-9 (I restarted at 3 after life got in the way for some weeks). I've gone on to do a HM 364 days after my first run!
I've never been naturally flexible, but the stretching helps keep stiffness at bay.

After Dc1, I'd been so inactive for months that despite being 2st heavier than normal, I'd lost an inch off each calf due to muscle wastage. My exercise plan started with walking to the end of the road and back then lying down to recover!