Hi. I've been getting acute arthritis since I was 19 (I'm 44 now) ... and after completing the first week of C25k, my left foot has inflamed with arthiritic swelling and I can barely walk. Anyone else found this?
Has running inflamed anyone's acute arthritis? - Couch to 5K
Has running inflamed anyone's acute arthritis?
Hi StromCom,
Were you following the plan on alternate days? If you suffer with arthritis running may not be suitable for you and I'd highly recommend visiting a graduate ST (sports therapist) to look into it. In the short-term you could apply ice (wrapped in a teatowel) over the affected areas (no more than 15 mins). That would help with the pain relief and help bring the swelling down. A handy alternative to ice is to immerse your feet in very cold water for the same time period.
THanks. Yes. RUnning alternate days.
What kind of surface were you running on?
My Dad has RA (later onset, so I think less joint involvement) and runs regularly but he has always been careful about surfaces and since I have auto-immune difficulties (and had surgery on my feet as a teen, with arthritic flares in adulthood) I am following in his footsteps and don't run on roads. Well fitting footwear has been extremely important - although perhaps surprisingly I do much better in more minimal shoes. There are certain spots on my feet which will trigger joint problems if there's too much pressure there.
I found TENS helpful with my foot flares - not applied locally but on my back to get my own endorphins flowing.