Sounds easy. So why do so many people not heed the signs? Too busy, it will get better if I rest for a week…. or two….. or three………………….
Denis McGinley of The Physiotherapy Centre (www.edphysio.com) gives the following advice.
Runners suffer numerous injuries, particularly when you change your regime or up your mileage for the marathon. Here’s what he had to say common conditions including shin splints, hamstring pain, knee problems and lower back pain.
Common Reasons for Pain with Running:
Running on pavements. You have an incredible amount of compression going through the joints of the leg and lower back when you run. Increased stresses lead to problems. Running on grass is a much better option.
A steep increase in your mileage. Any changes you make to your exercise schedule need to be done gradually.
Problems with leg alignment. This is most obvious in people who have flat feet, knock knees or splay feet. When you run, stresses are driven up your leg, increasing the strain through your muscles and joints, especially when you are pounding the pavements. Common problems with this are shin splints, knee pain and back/hamstring pain.
You are wearing the wrong (or worn out) shoes. If you run, your shoes are a vital part of your equipment. They give you control if your feet are flat and may lead to leg mal-alignment if they lack the correct support for you. If in doubt about the suitability of your shoes, contact your local sports shoe store to be assessed or see a podiatrist. It is well worth the effort. Your shoes run out of steam at around 500 miles so be sure to replace them frequently.
You just don’t stop! Twinges and pain particularly during or after running need to be treated. NOW, not later. Your body is telling you that something is wrong so go and see your Physio for advice and treatment.
Muscle imbalances. Many runners overuse their leg muscles and have poor pelvic muscle control particularly if you are sitting for long periods of time during the day. These runners often develop imbalances of the muscles between their pelvis and legs. This can not only lead to injury in the long term, you are less able to develop power when you run. You may have heard the term ‘core control’; this refers to the muscle control around your pelvis and spine. The benefits of improved core control are enormous- not only will your running performance will improve, you will be less likely to injure yourself.
Diagnosis is key
The origin of your problem needs to be treated to prevent recurrence of the injury. Many hamstring (the muscle at the back of your thigh) pains occur as a direct result of lower back problems. A muscle strain gets better within a couple of weeks, so if your hamstring is still painful after a fortnight, your problem may originate in the lower back.
Long distance runners often become stiff in the joints of the middle back and this will shunt stresses into your lower back. Loosening the mid back often both reduces your lower back pain whilst improving flexibility and comfort.
Shin Splints, is a general term to describe pain in the shin which may come from several different origins. For more information on what to do when you have shin splints, visit http://www.edphysio.com/help.php?REF=1.6.3.2 for more information.
There are several reasons for pain here:
Your shin bone may have a stress fracture.
The muscles at the front of your shin may be painful and tight, often from repetitive stresses and strain. This is usually as a result of a muscle imbalance of your lower leg that causes the muscles around your shinbone to work harder than they are designed to leading to muscle spasm and pain.
The tendon between the muscles on the front of your leg and the shinbone may be strained. This is usually in combination with the muscles on the front of your shin working too hard which results in spasm and tug on the tendon.
Again, your Physio can diagnose why you are experiencing pain and help you on the road to recovery.
Remember, the one minute mile will be a far off dream if you are strained or injured and problems usually get worse if you ignore them. So get advice when you first have pain and get back on track quickly.
Basic Essentials for safe sporting performance
Warm up appropriately, and give yourself time to cool down after sport.
Maintain good posture and alignment when you exercise
Get the correct footwear
Improve your core stability - muscle tone in your pelvis gives you increased power, and significantly helps to reduce the development of injuries
For comprehensive advice, check out the ‘Self Help Painbuster TM‘ section on The Physiotherapy Centre’s web site www.edphysio.com where you will find the next steps you need to take following injury.
The Physiotherapy Centre (Edinburgh & Glasgow) also holds ‘Free Clinics’. Just check out the web site at Edinburgh (http://edphysio.com/drop_in_clinics.php) and Glasgow (http://edphysio.com/glasgow/drop_in_clinics.php) for session times or call 0131 556 1116 for more details. They will be happy to chat you through your problem and give you some personal advice.
