It seems to me I heard somewhere that gary wrote in article
<[email hidden]>:
Quoted message said:I'm 30 & around 6ft 1 & 15 stones, my father is tall
also & never ran, but used to bend a lot at work. He
has just had a double hip replacement, i fear this in
later life. Is this hereditory, when i started running
i ached around the hips, but as i get into it over the
weeks, this goes!
To the extent there is a genetic element there could be
hereditary risk, I assume (I'm not a medical person)
Quoted message said:Does running/cycling eliminate the prospects of arthritis
in later life, i thought that wear & tear would increase my
chances!. Are Hip & knee wear & replacements & arthritic
problems linked. Should i not exercise as much to avoid
this. Summer is soon & i'll be doing lots of sport, i'm
worried about being a cripple in later life!
There are two main categories of arthritis--both the causes
and the treatments differ. The rheumatic arthritises are
inflammatory diseases, where joint damage follows the
inflammation. These diseases, of which there are over 150
recognized varieties including lupus and Crohn's disease,
seem to be strongly related to the body's immune system
attacking normal tissues.
The second category is the osteoarthritis, primarily the
result of wear and tear, though they can be precipitated by
genetic factors or be trauma and injury earlier in life.
This is the type of arthritis most at issue for running. I
am not a medical person but my spouse has had osteoarthritis
and a shoulder replacement, and I have been diagnosed with
the onset of osteoarthritis.
Here are some consensus summaries I've picked up from an
arthritis support newsgroup over the past several years.
-Keeping as active as the disease allows is important for
maintaining range of motion and muscle tone.
-The physical structure of an individual's body may be a
factor in whether running or other repetitive exercise will
eventually impact the joints. Many long-term runners never
suffer the disease, while others may who run much less may
be at risk.
-Evidence seems to be growing that glucosamine may reduce
the erosion of cartilage, though AFAIK no completed trials
are available as of now. There is speculation but less
evidence that glucosamine may promote regrowth of damaged or
worn cartilage.
FWIW, the osteopathic surgeon who diagnosed some cartilage
loss in my spine, shoulder, and knee advised me to keep
running as much as possible without pain. This matches my
cardiologist's advice, who wanted me to maintain as much
fitness as possible.
--
Don [email hidden]
