Am a long distance runner. I tore my left knee meniscus beginning of last year but continued running until the pain became unbearable. Did physiotherapy for few months, then met a Orthopedic physician, MRI, surgery and fixed the tear. But the MRI also revealed my arthritis on the left knee which according to the Doctor is pretty bad. He advised not to run again. Full stop! Am unable to cope with this news. Am doing all kinds of strength training and hoping some day I will be able to do distance running and defy the Dr. I steal in a small run a week only to limp in pain for few days after. Is there a cure? Will I be able to run long distance again? I realize I can look at other avenues of Cardio like biking and swimming. But the question is about running. Will I?

Ans: Hi. Thank you for your query and sorry to hear about your condition. Although there isn't cure for arthritis but it has good management like any other condition and you can still lead an active life if you take the appropriate care of it. A sports physiotherapist or physiotherapist specialized in knee joint can help you condition your body to lessen joint stress, strengthen the muscles surrounding your knee, and enhance joint mechanics. Although pain after running is a blatant indication that your joint isn't handling it well, many athletes with arthritis discover they can handle occasional short runs if they combine cross-training, strength training, and recuperation techniques. You can get the endurance challenge you want while long-term knee protection by swimming, biking, and other low-impact activities.Distance running becomes extremely difficult when a meniscus rupture and severe knee arthritis coexist since the joint's ability to cushion and move smoothly is already impaired. Although surgery can fix the tear, arthritis cannot be reversed. Your doctor is exercising caution because they don't want to cause more harm that could accelerate joint deterioration and make day-to-day living more difficult. Although I don't want to give you unrealistic expectations, I believe with the right physiotherapy, conditioning, and pacing, you may still enjoy shorter, carefully managed runs without causing too much harm. I wish you a great running in future too