I seem to be experiencing typical runners’ knee pain at a very convenient time—in terms of blogging about it, at least. (Not so convenient is the fact that my first triathlon is next Sunday.) Maybe it’s just the season for outdoor running and overuse injuries, or maybe it’s all the headlines about pain relief lately, but everyone seems to be talking about what’s safe, what works, and what’s best.
Painkillers: Are they safe?
First a federal advisory committee recommended that the government lower the daily recommended dosage of acetaminophen, based on the idea that it is relatively easy to overdose on the drug, and that it’s been linked to liver damage. Acetaminophen is in Tylenol, of course, but it’s also in plenty of other multipurpose medications.
That information led runners and other athletes—many of us who pop pills often to combat achy joints and muscles—to wonder exactly what we should be taking; after all, acetaminophen is supposed to be safer and gentler on the stomach than other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories like aspirin. Luckily, my friends at That’s Fit (who have a great triathlon training series going on, by the way) tackled this tough question just when I needed answers.
They interviewed Robert Sallis, MD, the codirector of Sports Medicine Fellowship at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center, who assured them that Tylenol is still likely the safest choice for most people, and that athletes who take less than 2,000 milligrams a day (about six regular-strength tablets) shouldn’t worry. Of course, persistent pain is likely a sign of tissue damage, he added, so it’s best to get checked out if you find you’re turning to pills on a regular basis.
Next page: Muscle relaxing gels, stretching, and strengthening
Comments (3)
Hey Amanda, have you ever thought of using a nutritional supplement to alleviate the pain? I used to run in College and my best friend is currently training for her 1st marathon. She was extremely overweight and has in the last 4 years lost a whole person worth of weight (120 pounds or more)! She decided late summer last year that she was gonna run a marathon in 2009 and began training for that, hired a personal trainer and everything! Well, naturally, she had the joint pain from miles and miles of running – and as you’ve found out, not adequate enough stretching and strength training. Well, late February she was introduced to a nutritional supplement that contained freeze-dried acai berry (Mona Vie) and began drinking 2 oz twice a day. She reports that her regular joint pain is all but gone and only if she has neglected something does she have ANY pain at all! Plus, all the joint pain I was having in my hips and shoulders has left me as well. Of course, I don’t work out nearly as hard as she does, but still, no pain with NO pills is great for me. I’m sure you’ve heard of Mona Vie, but I thought it’d be worth mentioning. You can check more out on my distributor’s website and order some if you’d like, they’ll ship it right to you! http://www.monavie.com/AndreaGriffin
Joint pain is so hard to cope with, especially when you’re using those joints to their capacity. Mona-Vie helps!
Sincerely,
Andrea
Oops, sorry about the link there, I’m new to this type of thing. *blush*
mymonavie.com/AndreaGriffin
That’s the right one! :-}
Shoot! Did it again! http://www.mymonavie.com/AndreaGriffin
That’s it for sure, I know it! ;-)