Tag: calves

3 Foot Injuries to Watch Out For When Running

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

When you’re a runner, there’s always the fear and possibility of injuring yourself. One of the most common injuries are foot injuries, naturally, as this is the part of the body that takes the shock and impact whilst running. The foot is active in both the landing and push-off phases of the running cycle, so it’s involved in absorbing the shock of impact (upon landing), then controlling the forces generated by running (during push-off).

In this post I will discuss the three most common foot injuries to watch out for when training, and how to treat and prevent them.

Plantar Fasciitis

This is pain along the bottom of your heel – it is particularly bad first thing in the morning when you get out of bed. This is caused by excess tension or pulling on the plantar fascia, which runs along the bottom of your foot, resulting in painful inflammation.

Treat it by:

  • Cross-training
  • Taking anti-inflammatories
  • Rolling your foot over a frozen water bottle
  • Pumping your ankle up and down 10 times before getting out of bed
  • Wearing shoes with arch support
  • Stretching your calf

To prevent Plantar Fasciitis stretch, strengthen and foam roll your calves regularly. Additionally, shorten your stride – aim for 180 foot strikes per minute.

Ankle Tendinitis

This is pain on the outside of your ankle beneath the bone and toward the back of the joint. This may start out mild but can worsen over time with repeated running. Ankle tendinitis is caused by a big bump in mileage stressing out the two tendons that run along the outside of your ankle, causing them to become in flamed.

Treat it by:

  • Cross-training
  • Applying ice for 15 minutes, five times a day
  • Stretching and foam rolling your calves
  • Talk to a sports doctor if discomfort lasts – they may recommend a brace

Ankle Tendinitis can be prevented by doing regular foot eversions and calf raises.

Stress Fracture

This is a pain in your forefoot or heel, which is usually most pronounced during running and worsens over time. This is something that can develop over time when the demand on the bone exceeds the bone’s ability to withstand the force.

Treat it by:

  • Seeing a sports doctor for immediate diagnosis – they will advise you to rest and this can reduce recovery time.
  • Cross-training

Stress fractures can be prevented by upping your mileage gradually. If you over pronate whilst running, try arch supports. Getting enough calcium and vitamin D can help prevent stress fractures, and additionally you should strengthen your core and hips with exercises.

Until next time,

Mohsin Salya

How to Prevent and Treat Shin Splints

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

Shin splints are some of the most common injuries for runners, and it’s very rare that a runner will go through their life without suffering this at some point. It’s not just runners that suffer – shin splints are common among dancers, gymnasts and military recruits too.

In runners however, shin splints are a more common injury for beginners and long-distance runners, but are both curable and preventable. In this blog post I’ll be explaining what shin splints are, how to treat them and how to prevent them in the future.

What are shin splints?

‘Shin splints’ is actually a term used to describe a wide range of lower-leg injuries and lower leg exercise-induced pain. However, in the running world, shin splints injury is usually the medical condition known as medial tibial stress syndrome – MTSS for short.

The main symptom of shin splints is a dull, aching pain in the front of the shins. This is usually felt in an area measuring roughly 5 inches in length on either side of the shinbone or in the muscles surrounding it.

What causes shin splints?

Shin splints occur in most cases as a direct result of the repeated impact to the bone tissue, tendons and muscles surrounding the tibia. This leads to inflammation of the connective tissue that covers and joins the muscles of the lower leg to the shin bone.

How do I treat shin splints?

Shin splints are not a serious injury, provided you treat it before it has chance to become chronic. Doing the following as soon as you start to feel any shin pain should do the trick.

  • Rest: If you start to feel any shin pain, rest. You shouldn’t be doing any type of running or high impact exercise until it can be done pain free.
  • Ice therapy: Ice the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes, three to four times a day to reduce pain and swelling. Keep icing on a daily basis until the injured area is no longer inflamed or painful.
  • Medication: In cases of severe pain, you may have to take anti-inflammatory medication to soothe pain and speed up recovery. However, it’s always important to check with a pharmacist first.
  • Recovery: It can take anything from two to four weeks to recover from shin splints, depending on how severe you were injured. As you start to notice improvements, opt for alternative low-impact exercise such as swimming or yoga.

If the pain persists and symptoms fail to improve, you should always seek medical advice.

How do I prevent shin splints?

It’s true that prevention is better than a cure. Here are a few measures you can take to try and prevent shin splints:

  • Make sure you have the right running shoes
  • Start a comprehensive strength training regime that’s aimed to strengthen the muscles and the tendons in the lower legs and feet
  • Consider getting a biomechanical analysis (conducted by a professional, typically using a motion capture video) to pin down and isolate the exact problems with your running biomechanics
  • Make sure you perform a wide range of stretching exercises for the hamstrings, calves, and the Achilles

Until next time,

Mohsin Salya

What Stretches Should I Do Before Running?

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi there and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

If you’re a runner or you’re training for a marathon, you’ll know just how important stretching can be. Running can be very stressful on your legs, and you need a regular stretching routine to counterpart these stress effects. However, there’s so much information out there that it’s hard to know what stretch to do and for which muscle.

As a runner, you need to focus on three main areas if nothing else: hamstrings, calves and quads. The following stretches will target the muscles that runners use most. They’ll definitely boost your running performance, but they’ll also put an end to the aches and pains that you may experience afterwards.

Hamstrings

Your hamstrings are prone to injury, and this is especially the case amongst runners. They are notorious for tight hamstrings, which can lead to pulled muscles and lower back problems. Try this standing single leg hamstring stretch before your run to ensure your performance isn’t compromised:

  1. Stand with your feet hip distance apart.
  2. Bend your right knee and extend your left leg pointing toes up.
  3. While holding this position, lower your upper body and reach toward your left toes as far as you can.
  4. Hold the position for 30-second then switch to the other side.

Calves

The Calves are the most overworked muscles on your run, and losing flexibility and mobility in this area can set you up for calf strains, shin splints and plantar fasciitis. Try this runner’s calf stretch to also boost the length and cadence of your strides:

  1. Stand facing a wall and with your arms extended and back straight, place both arms on the wall.
  2. While keeping both feet flat, take a step backward with your right leg, while keeping your heel planted to the ground and the leg extended without bending the knee.
  3. To stretch the calf, lean forward slightly to the wall while actively pressing your back heel into the ground until you feel a good stretch in muscle.
  4. Breathe deeply and Hold the stretch for 30-second or more then switch sides.

Quads

Flexible quadriceps are essential for a stronger knee lift and speed. The dreaded runners’ knee can be traced back to tight quads, but this standing quad stretch will help you become less prone to injury:

  1. Stand with legs hips distance width apart.
  2. Grab a chair for balance (if necessary) and stand tall while holding your right foot behind butt pointing knee to floor.
  3. Slowly move your right foot to the back and feel the stretch in your quadriceps.
  4. Keep your thighs lined up and core engaged throughout the stretch and hold for no more than 30-second.
  5. Repeat with the left leg.

Until next time,

Mohsin Salya