Remember when I published a blog post earlier today about how I was seriously thinking about quitting running because I was worried I was doing permanent damage to my knee?

Just kidding – BAZINGA!

I went and saw my doctor at the sports medicine clinic and he said no worries, I haven’t injured anything; all of my knee pain is from the osteoarthritis I have.  How about another injection?  Since the first one worked so well, I was agreeable.  I asked him how often I could have these miracle shots and for how long and if there are any long-term effects.  He said I can have them indefinitely every 3-4 months (or longer if I don’t need them) until they don’t work anymore, at which time, I might want to think about a knee replacement.  He was quick to say, though, that if I did need one, it would be a long ways down the road.  Is my running going to get to that knee replacement faster, I asked?  Doc said no; in fact, running and other physical activity is the best thing for OA.  He said that the medical community used to think that running was what caused OA and that if you have OA, running is a big no-no because it’s hard on the joints.  He said that studies have shown the complete opposite, however, and they now encourage people with OA to be active.

I can’t even tell you how relieved and happy I am!  I don’t want to wreck my body just so that I can run, lift weights, bike, etc., but I also can’t stand the thought of not being physically active and doing something that I love.  So until I’m physically unable, I’m going to enjoy staying fit and active for as long as I can.

I feel a bit silly about my earlier post today; I feel like I was a bit melodramatic, but when you’re in pain and nothing you do seems to make it better, you start to feel like it’s the end of the world, especially when you start thinking about possibly not being able to do the things you love because of pain or injuries.

Thank you for putting up with my venting!  You will continue to see running posts, along with other types of fitness posts from me!