Most
running related injuries occur due to faulty biomechanics
(the way the foot and lower extremity function while we walk or
run). The demands made on the foot and ankle during sports
activities are dramatic. A runner can land on his/her feet thousands
of times during their normal run, usually 3 to 5 times their body
weight.
Running Injuries
How to prevent them, or if you have one, what to do?
Are you a runner?? Then you have probably had an injury at some
time during your running career...
What causes running injuries?
If you have had a recent injury ask yourself these questions:
Training errors:
Have you changed your training routine by increasing mileage,
adding speed, or hill training? If so, you may have to back off for
awhile. Gradual progression of training allows your body time to
adapt to higher demands placed on it. Each time your foot hits the
ground it absorbs about 3 times your body weight and you land on
each foot around 1000 times/mile. Tissues that are injured are less
able to withstand these forces.
Shoes:
They may look fine, but the materials in most
running shoes lose their shock absorbing and stabilizing
properties after a few hundred miles. Change your shoes
after five hundred miles regardless of how they look. Your selection
of shoe type is also important. Talk to us regarding your running
habits, mileage, terrain, and competition level.
Training Surface:
Has this changed for you recently? Soft or hard surfaces, slanted
roadways, and hills all affect the mechanics of running.
Your biomechanics:
Everyone has different strengths, weaknesses, flexibility
patterns, muscle recruitment skills and body types. All of these
factors impact the way any of us runs. Changing your running style
is a very difficult thing to do but you should try to keep a
comfortable stride length, hit the ground on an area from the middle
of the foot to the heel of the foot, and take off with the toes. If
your head seems to move up and down a great deal, or from
side-to-side, you are running inefficiently.
If you have a running injury, The Do's and Don'ts
DO: Rest, ice, and elevate the leg (if that's what you
injured!)
DO: Reduce your mileage to a pain free amount, even
though it may be a blow to
your ego.
DO: Cross-train to maintain your overall fitness level
with exercise such as biking,
or swimming or perhaps stair climbing.
DO: Trust and listen to
yourself. Irritability, fatigue,
insomnia, severe muscle
soreness, and getting colds and flu easily
may be signs that you are over training.
DO: Progress at a naturally comfortable
rate.
DO: See a doctor, physical therapist, or other health
professional who you trust.
If they can't help you, they probably
know someone who can.
DO:
Warm up by walking or jogging slowly for at least five
minutes.
DO: Cool down slowly at the end of your run by walking
at least five minutes.
DO:
Stretch before and after every run, especially the
Achilles tendon, hamstrings,
and quadriceps. Remember the best
time to stretch is after you
run and the muscles are pliable.
DO: Get on a weight training
program to strengthen
muscles around the hip, knee,
ankle, and abdominal area. This
may take some of the shock
away from the knee.
DON'T: Run though the pain. Your body is trying to tell
you something-listen
to it.
DON'T: Think you have to give up running. There's help out
there!
DON'T: Ignore the problem. If you do, it is more likely to
come
back. Or
get worse.
DON'T: Think that someone else can fix your problem.
Health care
practitioners & others can help a great
deal, but
the ultimate responsibility for being injury free is yours!
Training guidelines for injured runners
 | Run only as far as you can without pain. This is your starting
point.
| Do not run 1/4 of your weekly mileage in one run.
| Spread out your runs throughout the week. From the standpoint
of avoiding injury you are better off running 10 miles in two
separate days than 8 miles on one day.
| In the early stages of recovery from injury, don't do speed
work.
| Add mileage by 10-15% per week at a maximum. If additional
mileage becomes too hard, do not force yourself through it.
|
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The most common sports injuries we treat are:
Many running-related injuries are caused by biomechanical factors
(the way the lower extremity functions while we are walking and/or
running). Sports activities tend to aggravate these problems,
thereby causing the condition. Dr.Henry will try to allow the runner to
continue their running program while actively receiving treatment
for their symptoms. Many of the symptoms can be treated with physical
therapy. Custom made prescriptive orthotic
devices are normally used to treat the cause of sports-related
injuries. | 