Common Injuries

Every runner knows that aches and pains are a normal part of running. Tight muscles or soreness on the days following a long run or a speed workout are common. Stretching properly after a warm-up and cool-down can help keep these tweaks and tight areas from turning into full blown running injuries.

Sometimes, however, we push through the pain and overdo it. The most common causes of running injuries are too much, too fast, and too soon. Athletic Endurance believes in a gradual progression throughout the training process, and our program is designed to ease runners into more mileage at faster speeds.

Injury Prevention Common Sense

The most important thing to remember about athletics is REST IS CRUCIAL. Your body needs time to recover after hard efforts, and rest days will make you a better runner in the long run.

Another adage to live by: IF IT HURTS, STOP. Pain is the body’s way of telling us all to slow down and take it easy. Any good training plan is adaptable. You can always add on more training, but you can’t take it away if you’ve done too much. Don’t let a little pain become a huge pain.

Common Injuries: Shin Splints

Shin splints are the pain along the shinbone (tibia) — the large bone in the front of your lower leg. The pain is the result of an overload on the shinbone (often from pounding) and the connective tissues that attach your muscles to the bone.

Common Injuries: Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is the irritation and swelling of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot. The most common complaint is pain in the bottom of the heel, usually worst in the morning and improving throughout the day. By the end of the day the pain may be replaced by a dull aching that improves with rest.

Treatment for Shin Splints & Plantar Fasciitis

If you feel pain in your shins or your feet as you run or following a workout, buy new shoes. Over-used or poorly-fitted running shoes are the most common reason people get these overuse injuries. Shoes should be replaced at least every 6 months – even if they have just been sitting on a shelf! Have a shoe seller at a running store (link to local running stores?) fit you properly for your running shoes.

Both shin splintsand plantar fasciitis can be treated with RICE – Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate. Water running or running on soft surfaces – at the beach or on trails – can help you maintain your fitness as you recover.

Low Back Pain

Low Back Pain is the deep, aching, dull or burning pain in one area of the back or traveling down the legs. Acute back pain may also be felt as a sharp, localized pain. Back pain is common among running because of the excessive strain pounding can cause on the joints.

Treatment for Low Back Pain

The best prevention and treatment for low back pain is a strong core. The core is comprised of muscles of the abdominal and pelvic wall, as well as the muscles of the back. Add daily abdominal work and low-back exercises, as well as stretches to your training program. Heat and massage can help ease back pain. Also consider taking a yoga or Pilates class one day per week.

 

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