Here is a link I found at Runner'sWorld.com, where a reader asks about running with rheumatoid arthritis.
http://sportsdoc.runnersworld.com/2011/01/can-i-run-with-rheumatoid-arthritis.html
I agree with a lot of what he said, in my limited experience so far, and listening to your body is a key to not overdoing yourself (like I did trying to train for the ING). So far, it's taken my body a solid couple days to recover from a run. The pain in my feet is still heightened since my run on Saturday morning (I say "heightened" because the pain never really seems to "go away"). The pain in my hands also seems to be "heightened" whenever I get my body up into a frenzied state like a 9 mile run can cause.
I did discuss my "physical regimen" with my rheumatologist who said to cut running out altogether, which clearly I have not done. Just wondering what anyone else thought? I know some people respond on here or on twitter or thru e-mail, so whichever works for you.
For me, if I had a pain on my body I will not force myself to do something because I know my body needs rest. If we will force our body to do things that we know the fact that we are not capable of doing such especially the presence of pain it will only produce more pain on our body.
ReplyDeleteHi Kyle,
ReplyDeleteFor me it's about listening to my body and realising that some pains get worse when I try to run through it, while others get better. I guess that it makes me more honest with myself.
I have RA and I run about 30km per week. I'm pretty happy with that. My drugs are working for me at the moment so I am very grateful. There was a time when I didn't think I would ever be able to run or wake up without pain, but I do. So, there is hope :) How did you get on with the enbrel?
Sorry for such a delayed response, really wanted to make sure I did this half before I put anything else out there. Just took my second shot of Enbrel last night, prob gonna take a while for it to go into effect. That's awesome you run 30km a week. How did you decide to run more after the RA?
ReplyDeleteArthritis Pain Relief - I think its a delicate balance, I don't think one should run when their feet are killing them or go boxing when their hands hurt them, but there is something to pushing your body. You can push your body but also respect it at the same time, push, give it time to rest, and keep pushing.
I was never a runner until I was diagnosed with RA. Seriously, I don't think I ran more than a mile since they forced me to in high school. Training for a half-marathon last summer was my way of saying I wasn't going to let RA control my life. I typically only ran first thing in the morning and while I'd wake up stiff, I found that running helped loosen my joints up. That said, I wasn't in on-going pain when I started training. When I started I was on prednisone and waiting for my Humira to take effect. Since the race at the end of August I haven't run, but as winter leaves Wisconsin I think it's time to tie up the tennies and get going again. It's nice to feel in control of something.
ReplyDeleteI am not a runner, but I regularly play golf. I was diagnosed with RA as well and I thought that it will be the end of my tennis life. I tried a lot of pain relievers but none of it cured my RA completely. So, what I did, I consulted to an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Purita. He advised me to have a stem cell therapy, which we did and it was successful. Now, I am back to my normal day to day activities again.
ReplyDelete@MichaelGarrett - do you live in the US? I curious as to how you were able to get stem cell therapy. I was dx'ed with RA 13 years ago and I've never been able to return to a running routine. Stem cell therapy could be a good solution for me if I can find it. Thanks, Dawn.
ReplyDeleteHi Dawn, I am from Florida and I was able to get a stem cell therapy with Dr Purita, an orthopedic surgeon from Stem MD. You may schedule a free consultation with him at www.stem.md. You can also have idea about the processes of stem cell therapy on their website. I can assure you that he's knowledgeable and skilled doctor. I'm very proud of him. :) I hope you will find the best solution to your RA too. Try it..
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your comments. I have actually transitioned the blog (or am trying to) to www.apainintheblog.wordpress.com. You can feel free to e-mail me if you want to talk in private at: kyle.sheehan86@gmail.com.
ReplyDeleteI had to stop running for a while, the pain just got to be too much, but I have picked it up in the past few months and hoping to do a marathon within the next 6-8 months as well as some other races if I can subdue the pain.