The Most Common Running Injuries

October 21, 2016

Hi there and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

It’s a fact of life that if you’re a runner, there’s a good chance of injury at some point. Some estimate that up to 80 per cent of runners are injured at some point each year. With a statistic like that, it’s a good idea to get clued up on the different kinds of injury you could potentially fall victim to, as well as how to prevent them and treat them.

In this post I’ll be taking a brief look at each common injury, so that you know the essentials if you’re ever affected.

Runners Knee

Prevalence rate: 40%

Symptoms: Irritation of the cartilage under the kneecap

Causes:

• Any extra pressure on the knee
• Long runs
• Extended sitting
• Descending hills or stairs

Treatment:

• Reduce mileage
• Avoid downhill running
• Train using: elliptical, bike, pool

Prevention:

• Shorten your stride
• Land with your knee slightly bent
• Stretch your hip flexors
• Strengthen glutes

Plantar Fasciitis

Prevalence rate: 15%

Symptoms: The tendons and ligaments running from your heels to your toes receive small tears or inflammation

Causes:

• Very high or very low arches
• Pronation (foot rolls inwards)
• Supination (foot rolls outwards)
• Long periods of standing
• Weak core strength

Treatment:

• Ease up on running until fully recovered
• Ice the affected area
• Use a foam roller

Prevention:

• Increase core strength
• Wear the proper shoes for your foot type
• Stretch your arches

Achilles Tendonitis

Prevalence rate: 11%

Symptoms: The tendon that connects your calf and heel becomes tight and irritated

Causes:

• Dramatically increased training
• Weak calves

Treatment:

• Stop all running
• Apply ice regularly

Prevention:

• Do calf raises
• Avoid excessive calf training
• Avoid wearing high heels or flip flops for long periods of time

Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Prevalence rate: 12%

Symptoms: The band that runs along the outside of your leg from the hip to the knee becomes irritated and achy

Causes:

• Increased mileage too quickly
• Lots of downhill running

Treatment:

• Reduce mileage
• Use a foam roller
• Train using a pool

Prevention:

• Strengthen abductors
• When running on a track, change direction every few laps
• Limit hilly runs and shorten your stride

Stress Fracture

Prevalence rate: 6%

Symptoms: A strain on the bone that results in an achy feeling in your shins, feet or heels

Causes:

• Drastic increase in mileage or speed
• Nutritional deficits or inadequate calorie intake

Treatment:

• Take a significant break from impact exercises
• Pace yourself, even when walking
• Train using a pool

Prevention:

• Consume enough calories and nutrients
• Weight train to improve bone density

Until next time,

Mohsin Salya