Running Shoes and Aching Knees

If you are a runner with achy knee joints, especially a runner in the 40+ age group, I would like to you consider three things:

1 - I think treatment of knee joint pain should be in escalation from least risks to higher risks. That is,.....first try the remedies that provide the least amount of risk. You don't want to immediately get cortisone shots or a knee joint replacement. You need to try possible remedies (in order) such as: Rest - Take a break from running for several days to several weeks to reduce chronic inflammation and pain; Try new shoes - old ones wear out quick, more so if you are overweight; Try topical liniments such as what we have talked about on this site; Take Joint Supplements - may take a month to see or feel any results but you owe it to yourself to try joint supplements before any other medications which can have side effects; If none of this is having a major effect in reducing your knee pain, then maybe and only maybe you should consider other alternatives, which are usually first options in the Medical community by Doctors who are trained to first look to prescription medicatons to solve problems.

2 - Remember shoes? The rubber like soles on running shoes can take up to 48 hours to "refresh" themselves. Consider not only two sets of the same shoe in order to rotate them, but consider looking to a Sports Foot Doctor to see if under or over pronation may be causing some of the knee joint pain problem.

3 - Consider shorter runs with longer breaks in between. I greatly increased my running life span by eliminating my runs on back to back days. If you are an cardio vascular exercise junkie, then consider low impact cardio training on your in between days.