A running injury can range from a blister to a stress fracture, and are mainly due to the repetitive motion of running. However there can be a number of other causes including your running form and gait. Other factors that can increase your chance of injury include; wearing the wrong/old shoes, not warming up or cooling down correctly, running too fast or running too far. Some of the most common running injuries are:
Plantar fasciitis
Achilles tendinitis
IT band syndrome
Runners knee
Shin splints
With any running injury, there is a degree of pain and discomfort. Where you are experiencing pain and the degree to which you feel the pain are big indications of the injury and whether you need to seek an expert opinion. Some injuries will subside after one or two days of rest. However if there is any bruising or swelling after 1-2 days and you’re continuing to feel discomfort it is time to seek additional help. Equally if you can’t weight bare this is also an indication you need to rest and seek professional assistance. You can also refer to the NHS website to look at whether your symptoms need assessing.
Running injuries require additional evaluation, at Comfort Health a typical session involves a detailed assessment of your injury, diagnosis, a bespoke treatment suiting your needs, and a series of comprehensive exercises and advice to help you manage your injury. We also look at your medical history and running habits. These include:
– Previous injuries and related treatments
– Current training patterns, including mileage, frequency, and training methods (eg, hill running)
– Any changes in training
– Shoe and orthotic use, including any recent change in shoes
– Training surface, including any recent changes
– Injury details (eg, what provokes and reduces symptoms, duration of symptoms)
– Athletic activities other than running
– Detailed training history, including running and racing experience
– Medical conditions & prior surgeries
– Medication and supplement use
By taking a few precautions and planning you can prevent many common running injuries. Here is a list of a few:
Listen to your body – don’t ignore pain
Have regular maintenance Sports Massage/Physiotherapy
Create a running plan
Warm-up and stretch
Strength train – weight training and ab exercises
Cross train – mix up your fitness routine
Wear the correct clothes
Wear the correct shoes
Stay hydrated
Eat a balanced diet
If you think your injury could be caused by your running technique we now offer full gait and running analysis in our clinic. Having your gait analysed will help to identify any irregularities or imbalances when you run which you can correct by working with our therapists. We offer gait analysis as a stand alone appointment or combined with physiotherapy.
If you have a current injury we recommend booking a physiotherapy session first so we can do a full analysis of the injury and help you get started on your road to recovery. Depending on the injury, you may need to do some rehab work first and have some recovery time before we can do a full gait analysis as often running will irritate the injury.
A lot of minor running injuries can be helped by following the treatment strategies below. However, if the pain and discomfort continues, see your physio/health professional as you may need more advanced treatment to resolve your running injury.
Rest: Take it easy. If you keep running, your injury could get worse. Choose alternative ways to exercise while you heal, such as swimming or cycling.
Ice and cold therapy: Apply ice packs to reduce pain, inflammation, and swelling.
Compression: Wrap the painful area with tape and use splints and supports to control swelling and stabilise the affected area.
Elevate: If you sprain your ankle or hurt your foot, elevate it to help reduce swelling.
Stretch: To reduce pain and tension of the affected area, gently stretch and massage the injured area.
Pain killers: Take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen to help relieve pain and inflammation – Do seek medical advice before taking pain killers.
Physiotherapy and Sports Massage can all be very beneficial in the recovery of a running injury.
Don’t try to push through pain. If you notice discomfort, take a break from running. If the pain continues, seek advice from a Physio/health professional.
At Comfort Health we offer a range of treatments from Sports Massage, Physiotherapy, Acupuncture and Cupping; all of which can help to manage injury pain and help you get back to full health. For running related chronic tendon issues such as an Achilles Tendinopathy and Patellar Tendinopathy, shockwave therapy can be highly beneficial.
We also now offer gait and running analysis here in the clinic which you can book as a stand alone treatment or the physiotherapy gait package.
If you feel like you could benefit from a treatment from one of our practitioners – Click Here and book in today.