Introduction:
Heather: Did you know that when you're running, you're putting around two to three times your whole body weight through each individual foot and leg on every single stride? It's therefore not really much of a surprise that we do get niggles, pains, and injuries from years of running. We're going to help identify those by covering the more common injuries as well as bringing you tips on how to limit them. [music] The ankle sprain. Oh, it's one of the most.
ANKLE SPRAIN:
(1) common and most frustrating running injuries, because you can simply be running along, minding your own business, and then suddenly, wham, for no reason, you go over on your ankle. I could be a curb or something on the road, but sometimes it just happens with nothing in the way. You will get a sudden shooting pain in your ankle. If you're really unlucky, you might even hear a popping sound. That's not a good sign. You'll usually find you'll hop for a little bit, probably a few expletives too before
(2) you can actually work out how severe that is. Basically, you'll have overstretched or strained all the ligaments and the tendons that surround your ankle. You'll usually find as though it's on the outside as you roll onto the outside of that ankle. With a little bit of hopping, you can probably tell if you can put weight on it. If you can, then it's a good idea to try and walk it out very gently and get back home.
(3) If it's more severe, then you might need to get help. Once you are at home, it's a good idea to elevate it because the swelling is all going to go down to your ankle, obviously being at the lowest part of our body, it's going to actually swell quite quickly. If you can, keep it up as much as you can, and with some intermittent icing, then you'll be able to work out how bad it is. If it did sound bad, or you can't even touch it, it's worth seeing
(4) an expert. Although when there is so much swelling, they might struggle to actually see what's happened to start with so you might have to wait a little bit. Ultimately, we want to prevent an ankle problem in the first place, so that means doing some proprioceptive work, standing on single leg, and doing some movements maybe even on a wobble cushion. Also just strengthening the foot in different motions using a TheraBand. [music] The calf strain or tear is another one of.
STRAINED CALF:
- Those very frustrating but very common injuries when it comes to running. It's often felt in the muscle belly, the fleshy part of the back of your calf in the gastrocnemius, or sometimes it can be further down towards the Achilles in the soleus muscle. It tends to appear if you've been doing quite a lot of mileage that you've maybe increased a little bit too quickly or you've done a really hard session on top of some moles so your body is under strain. Sometimes it can be a change of footwear that triggers it or it could even be running on an uneven terrain. I personally had it earlier this year. That was a result of increasing my mileage at quite a sudden rate and not doing any strength conditioning to go with it. I learned the hard way. You'll normally.
- feel it when you contract the calf, but also if you're trying to elongate the muscle. [music] If there is notable swelling in the area, it's a good idea to do some intermittent icing on it, but other than that, really you're going to have to rest. For a mild strain, you should be okay to start running again in a few days, but obviously, make sure it feels fine. If you've got a bit more of a tear, then you're going to need weeks, maybe even months, I'm afraid.
- I would recommend getting some professional help to help you improve and speed up that recovery process. I found for mine, I got to a stage where it's pretty much healed, but I had a little bit of scar tissue and after the amount of foam rolling I did, I couldn't get to the bottom of it, and I just needed some needles in there. Sometimes, just a couple of trips to the physio can really make quite a difference. If you are susceptible to getting calf problems, I'd recommend doing plenty of stretching and strengthening around the area but also addressing your footwear. Maybe going for something that's got a slightly bigger heel-toe drop. [music] Oh, the groin strain. Giggles aside, it's.
STRAINED GROIN:
one of those very annoying injuries and it can be picked up from running. It's basically when you've overworked or strained the adductor muscles, which are those muscles that run down the inside of your thigh. In team sports, it's a really common injury because you're constantly changing direction in things such as football. When it comes to running, it isn't normally too serious, but it can take quite a while to heal.
Prevention is obviously better than cure. This is where you need to make sure that all of your muscles are firing correctly, especially your glutes because if all the muscles around your hips aren't quite working in sync, it could be pretty extra strain on those adductor muscles. Then you've got the infamous runner's knee. This can be general pain around the
RUNNER'S KNEE:
knee, but it's usually referring to patellar tendonitis which is an inflammation of the patellar tendon. The tendon is both below and above your kneecap that basically holding hold it in place and make sure it tracks in the right direction. This can get aggravated from a lot of running downhill, doing some heavy squats, or even walking up and down the stairs. You might notice that it's worse if you've been sitting down for a long time or generally static, it can feel a little bit stiff, and even a little bit crunchy sometimes.
This is usually caused by weakness and tightness in the muscles around that area, even as far away as your glutes. Yes, your glutes basically affect everything, don't they? Closer to your knee, your VMO, your Vastus Medialis Oblique muscle is quite a key one here. It's that really small muscle that sits just above and inside of your kneecap. It can be a little
bit lazy to activate. If you are experiencing runner's knee type symptoms or pains, you need to work on flexibility and also activation of those muscles around the area as well as I'm afraid, backing off your running for a while. Yes, you guessed it, but when you do start to return to running injury free, just make sure you build it in gradually. [music]
ACHILLES TENDONITIS:
Achilles tendinopathy is an aggravation to the Achilles tendon. It's one of those injuries that can plague runners for years, if it's left ignored, it can actually lead to long term problems. The Achilles tendon attaches the gastrocnemius and the soleus to big calf muscles into the heel.
When it's put under too much stress, it can become irritated, which can then lead it to being inflamed. In the long term, it can become thickened. This often comes about from a lot of hill running, maybe some speed work, and also inadequate shoes that don't offer that enough support to the area. It's a tricky one to treat. Initially, when you've got an acute issue of it, you want to ice it to reduce that inflammation, but then in the long term, it's actually about strengthening the tendons. You'll need to work on exercising the calves and the tendon together. Calf raises are usually great for that.
PLANTAR FASCIITIS:
[music] Plantar fasciitis is an overstressing of the tissues or the fascia, the run underneath the fat, and connects all of those muscles into the bone. It can be quite a dull pain, or it could be a more acute pain. Some people feel it in the heels, a slightly odd sensation or it's more general in that arch area. Another
sign is to have excruciating or more significant pain in the mornings when you get up and you try and walk on your feet. The fascia is naturally tightened overnight, and as you try and stretch it, it can be really uncomfortable. Initially, you want to reduce that inflammation, that swelling. Ice, of course, comes in handy but, hey, you can be a little bit more specific and actually freeze a small water bottle, then you can roll your foot over that. That's really quite nice and relieving. Once you've got past that acute stage and you want to just try to stretch out that tissue, a golf ball is brilliant for that. [music] Shin splints. Yes, it's another one that I've.
SHIN SPLINTS:
experienced. It's another very common injury, especially among new runners who suddenly increase their mileage. It's usually a pain that's felt on the inside lower third of your shin. It can be a bit of a throbbing or aching in that area and is usually very sensitive to touch. It's basically a result of the muscles overworking and pulling on the fascia which attaches them to the bone.
It's basically a constant tugging on that bone that in use to that action. Ice is a good initial treatment here, just reduce the inflammation that's come up as a result of that, then you need to take a little bit of rest. It's very much about building up your running very gradually. That's what I had to do when I first started running. I kept getting shin pains, but you just got
to take it back to basics and let your body adapt as well as doing some strengthening exercises around the ankle and making sure you've got a nice efficient gear. Also, do address your trainers as you want to have a nice supportive shoe, and maybe a bit more cushioning than you're used to. You can even start off by running on a softer surface such as grass before you really get your body used to running, then you can progress that onto running on harder surfaces. [music]
ILIOTIBIAL BAND SYNDROME:
Then we've got IT band syndrome, which quite often presents itself as lateral knee pain. A pain just above and outside of the knee, on the bottom of the IT band. Even sometimes you can feel it at the hip. It's again another one of those obvious injuries that results in inflammation at the area. It can be a really nasty one that can sideline runners for weeks at a time. It comes about quite often from repeatedly running downhill, maybe if you're running on a camber or doing a track and always running in one direction.
Worn-out shoes can contribute to it as well, and poor running form, which, again, you guessed it, related back to weak glutes. It's one you really want to try and avoid. For that, you need to obviously activate all the muscles around the hip. When you do have it, you can start to work on some massage in that area to try and relieve the IT band. It's one of those that are open to interpretation because some research says you can't do anything to the fascia in that area, others say you can.
It's about working out what works for you, but often relieving or releasing those muscles that then feed into the IT band can also help. I do hope this hasn't put you off running. We're just trying to help you avoid these potential injuries. If you are unlucky enough to get some sort of niggle that we've covered, you at least know how to deal with it. I hope you guys have enjoyed this. Give us a like and do remember you can follow us on our social media channels as well.
Running Injuries Prevention Tips:
| Running Injury | Description | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Shin Splints | Pain along the shin bone due to stress on lower leg muscles | Gradual increase in training intensity, proper footwear, stretching calf muscles |
| Runner's Knee | Pain around the kneecap caused by overuse | Strengthening leg muscles, proper footwear, correct running technique, avoid sudden increases in mileage |
| Plantar Fasciitis | Inflammation of the tissue on the bottom of the foot | Stretching calf muscles, proper footwear with arch support, gradual increase in mileage |
| Achilles Tendinitis | Inflammation of the Achilles tendon | Strengthening calf muscles, proper footwear, avoid sudden increases in intensity or distance |
| IT Band Syndrome | Irritation of the IT band along the outside of the thigh | Proper warm-up, stretching, strengthening hip and glute muscles, avoid excessive downhill running |
FAQS:
Q1: What are some common walking accidents?
A1: Common strolling injuries encompass shin splints, runner's knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome), IT band syndrome, Achilles tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis.
Q2: How can shin splints be avoided in runners?
A2: To save you shin splints, runners should gradually growth mileage, put on proper footwear, ensure proper stretching earlier than and after walking, reinforce calf muscle groups, and keep in mind cross-training to lessen effect.
Q3: What measures may be taken to save you runner's knee?
A3: Runner's knee can be avoided via sporting supportive shoes, maintaining right going for walks shape, strengthening quadriceps and hamstrings, warding off surprising will increase in mileage, and incorporating right relaxation and healing.
Q4: How can IT band syndrome be avoided by using runners?
A4: To prevent IT band syndrome, runners have to attention on strengthening hip and glute muscular tissues, averting overuse with the aid of cross-training and ranging jogging surfaces, the use of a foam roller for IT band mobility, and ensuring a gradual growth in mileage.
Q5: What are some preventive strategies for Achilles tendinitis in runners?
A5: Runners can prevent Achilles tendinitis by incorporating calf-strengthening physical games into their routine, carrying proper footwear with good enough support, fending off surprising changes in schooling depth, and making sure a proper warm-up and funky-down before and after strolling.
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