Workout Wednesday: Injuries associated with running and exercising

The most common running injuries are those caused by repetitive movements and stresses on the joints and ligaments.

You may recognise some of these running injuries such as

Runner’s Knee.

It is the pain near the kneecap caused by repeated bending or high stress exercises such as lunges or after sitting for extended periods of time with knees bent or while walking down stairs or downhill. To prevent this, use knee braces/bands when exercising.

Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Iliotibial band syndrome is the aching on the outside of the knee, usually occurring in the middle or at the end of a run. The most common symptoms is the stinging sensation just above the knee joint is felt on the outside of the knee or when pain is felt when the foot strikes the ground, and pain persist after activity. Whenever you feel this type of pain, it is highly suggested that you rest, put ice on the painful area to reduce inflammation.

Shin Splints (Tibial Stress Syndrome)

This is a common injury affecting athletes who engage in running sports or other forms of physical activity, including running and jumping. They are characterised by general pain in the lower region of the leg between the knee and the ankle. Some of the causes are irritated and swollen muscles, often from overrunning, Weakness in stabilising muscles of the hips. Treating Shin splints means that you have to rest your body to heal, ice your shin for approximately 20 – 30 min, or go to a physiotherapist for proper scans and diagnosis.

Achilles Tendinitis (Achilles tendon)

This is a condition when pain is usually worse during and after activity, when the tendon and joint area can becomes stiffer the following day as swelling impinges on the movement of the tendon.  Symptoms vary from an ache or pain and swelling to the local area of the ankles, or  a burning that surrounds the whole joint. Treatment is possible with ice cold compression therapy, wearing heel pads to reduce the strain on the tendon, and an exercise routine designed to strengthen the tendon

Plantar Fasciitis (Heel pains)

It is a common painful disorder affecting the heel and underside of the foot.  It is most noticeable when the foot flattens during weight bearing or when pushing off with the toe during walking or running, and it is usually located near the heel. For treatment, rest your feet, invest on shoes with good shock absorption, roll a frozen bottle under the arch.

Here are few tips to assist new runners to avoid running injuries.

1. Prepare your body for running by walking, it will strengthen the muscles joints and tendons where running injury often occur.
2. Cross-training activities like swimming, rowing, or cycling will help with the circulatory part of running.
3. Follow a sensible training plan or find a coach and your training plan should consist of mostly easy days.
4. Wear the right shoes there are all kinds of shoes out there, but find a pair that feels good on your feet and compliments your running style.
5. Replace your shoes when they no longer feel good.
6. Practice injury prevention; always warm up slowly for 10 minutes before running.
7. Do some active stretching before your runs and some static stretching after your runs.
8. Seek proper advise when buying a running/exercising shoe

Always seek the advice of medical professionals whenever you experience some sort of injury.