Public Lecture: Is Running Really Bad For Your Joints?

It is not rare to hear that running is bad for the knees, or for people to quit running by fear of damaging their joints. Especially as they get older, or if they had injuries to their knees, hips, ankles or spine. Does running increase the risk of osteoarthritis or other joint injuries? Will runners with osteoarthritis need a joint replacement sooner because they keep running? What if someone had surgery in the past? Join us to explore what the research actually says!

About the Presenter: Jean-Francois Esculier, PT PhD

Jean-Francois (JF) Esculier graduated in Physiotherapy from the University of Ottawa in 2009. He completed a Masters of research and a PhD at Laval University on the topic of knee pain in runners (rehabilitation approaches, running biomechanics and footwear). He then moved to BC where he did a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia, where he conducted studies related to running and knee osteoarthritis. He is still an active researcher in those fields.

JF is a passionate clinician-researcher-educator. He co-founded MoveMed Physiotherapy in Kelowna with the objective of improving the quality of care provided to runners, recreational and competitive athletes. He is a Clinical Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of UBC, where he teaches to physiotherapy and medical students. He has been an Instructor with The Running Clinic since 2011, and is part of their Research & Development division which conducts research on running injuries.

Over the years, JF has published over 70 scientific articles in some of the best peer-reviewed journals in the field of Sports Medicine. He has been invited to teach and present at clinics and conferences in 10 countries, and is frequently interviewed as an expert in the media (New York Times, Washington Post, Daily Mail UK, CBC, Canadian Running, etc.).