Joint problems?

i started running around a month ago building up from roughly a mile per day to around 3, taking days off and breaks in between. a few days ago i went to run as normal but physically couldnt due to my legs aching, i took 3 days off thinking i'd probably just overdone it the previous days, but today, after this rest, i went to run and found i was still in pain, my ankles and knees specifically rather than general soreness as i thought before.

so my question is does anyone have any input as to what's going on? is this joint pain normal for relatively new runners ect?

cheers

Comments

  • Don't know if it helps but I get this from time to time, for no reason at all (it would appear) my legs just say "nope, no more" and they just feel tired and very drained. It doesn't seem to matter how much sleep I get or how much caffeine I take in desperation to ride against it, the fact is theres no energy left. I can walk but I can't run- well not for very long at all.

     

    I find it lasts a week and then I'm back to normal, seems to happen around every 6 weeks and its been happening for the past year or so, very odd but once you know its there its less worrying.

     

    I have been told I have the beginning stages of ostoarthritis -I was told this last year after a scan on my calves, I do get niggles when I run for longer then 30 minutes at a time but these sort themselves out after by the next day. I don't think the achey legs I have and my knee and ankle niggles are linked but thats just my understanding on it. I'd use the fatigue to take things down a tone for a week, cut back by 30-50% and then go back. I don't find it helps to stop totally but it does help to do less and to have cut back- keep yourself moving.

     

     If things get worse or you are worried you can get help from your GP but its not something they tend to do very easily or quickly and at the end of the day if it is exercise related they are just going to say "rest and cut back/stop" whatever the diagnosis is so aside from a diagnosis- which is great if like me you worry too much, the treatment isn't going to really vary that much from problem to problem.

  • its not that my legs are tired though, the muscles are strong, it's just the joints that are painful, cheers thoughtimage

  • Have you tried suppliments? Things like omega 3+ or Jointace are worth a try- its something that does take about 2 weeks to work its way into your body to show effects but it made a difference to me anyway. Make sure your taking decent stuff though as many cheapo brands wont have enough Omega 3 oils in and the quality side of it does make a difference.

    The thing is, your saying your muscles aren't the issue and its your joints that are- that may well be but if you are having issues with your joints the only way around it is to make sure your muscles are working properly so your joints aren't taking too much of the strain- which they could easily be. If your muscles are too fatigued when your trying to run then your going to risk a knock-on injury and so its important to make sure your muscles are working and your joints aren't taking the load instead. It could be worth seeing a sports physio about this if you can.

     

    I know I do this myself as I am hypermobile and my joints are already showing the stages of osteoarthritis because they are worn out and I have been picked up on things by a physio where I tend to reach rather then employ my muscles for example. Sounds a bit basic I know but when your running your basicly adding a whole new intensity to things. Its a high impact sport so does require training to get yourself to a level where your body can work as hard as your mind wants it to. Maybe you have a joint problem- I can't say eitherway but if it is joint related, working on your form and adding more rest days is going to be your only way of managing things long term.

     

    That and ibuprofen/NSAIDs. 

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    F, you've over trained that's all. New runners often make this mistake. The adaptive processes are much slower than people believe. If you had increased your rest days to around four (4) times the length in the first few weeks then your bodily structures would have a chance to catch up. Think of getting a scratch and how long it takes to heal. Its that time scale with training.

    🙂

  • jenn, i will give the omega supplements a try, thanksimage

     

    and R, this is what i assumed at first, but it's now been about 5/6 days where i've rested and made sure i looked after myself properly while resting (nutrition/sleep/ ect wise) but i still feel the aching even when walking, i will give it a few more days and try a light session

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Ok then, you've over trained until you damaged something. You're injured. It was training error.

    🙂

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