Although running sounds like such a non-dangerous sport compared with football or lacrosse, there are actually a fair amount of injuries. The basic cause is the repetitive nature of the sport when there is an imbalance caused by underdeveloped muscles or a lack of flexibility. The easiest way to deal with injuries is thru prevention. This means lots of stretching, eating well, doing some weight training and cross training and not ramping up your workload too fast.
We will review of the most common injuries that we see, as well as some common ways to deal with them. THIS IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR SEEING A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL!!! It is merely so that you can understand your body and catch potential issues early and help you understand some of the causes behind them. We have a professional trainer on staff at MHS, and use your own doctor or one of the very good orthopedic specialists in the area.
Please see our Professionals Page for pointers.
Also, Dr. Lee Cohen (Podiatrist)has an excellent web site - www.drleecohen.com
What to do when you feel pain?
When you start to develop some sort of either intense pain, or consistent pain – please let your Coaches know as soon as possible. Catching injuries early is the best way to deal with them quickly. We will quite often advise you to “Go see Jenn.” She is a trained (and very good) trainer that understands all of these common injuries and more. She will give you a good diagnosis and method for trying to recover as quickly as possible. She will also recommend if she feels you need to see a doctor – but always feel free to seek other advice.
What are the common causes and recommendations?
Well, it can usually be summed up that something is aggravated and inflamed – that means something is rubbing in the wrong way and swelled up inside. The inflammation will usually cause some pain. The usual way to deal with inflammation is Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (RICE).
How can I avoid injuries?
- Stretch
- Good shoes –
- Running Shoes designed for running
- Get them fitted by our professionals so that they are adjusted for pronation and other characteristics of how you foot lands and your legs absorb the shock. Some people land on the inside, some on the outside – different shoes and inserts can drastically reduce this effect and potential injury.
- Also – limit running in a pair of shoes to about 400 miles.
- Have a new pair and old pair of shoes so that you can rotate them. When your shoes reach say 300 miles – buy a new pair and use the old ones for another 100 miles by rotating which pair you wear every couple of days.
- Muscle development. There are two simple isometric exercises that every runner should do every day:
- Sitting down – stick your leg straight out and tighten your thigh muscle. This helps with Runner’s Knee by getting your thigh strong enough to absorb the shock of running.
- Point your toes up toward the sky. Or walk on your heels. You will feel the front of your shin tighten up – this will develop your shins and avoid Shin Splints.
What are the most common injuries?
The most common problems are:
