Running
Common Injuries for Runners
Running involves a cyclic motion that will place repetitive stress over a set of muscles and joints.Persistent overloading coupled with poor management of the accumulation of tension will lead to injuries.Common injuries for running includes runner’s knee, plantar fasciopathy, anterior/medial tibial stress syndrome, IT Band friction syndrome and low back pain.
Knee Pain (Anterior Knee Pain Syndrome)
Running will place repetitive stress over a set of muscles and joints if the loading mechanics of the foot and knee complex is not good.Pain can be located around the knee cap or under the knee cap in the area of the patellar tendon. What can you do? Regular conditioning and muscle relaxation therapy to balance out tension build up in the muscles around the knee. Consider wearing a sleeve brace to support fatigue muscles when going for longer runs. What can MyPhysio do? Myofascial releases and soft tissue work along with taping for the knee cap if if it is a lateral tracking patellar problem. Improving knee alignment to maximize usage of your knee musculature rather than your knee joint or ligaments. Checking for foot and knee loading imbalances is central to understanding the causative factors of knee pain. Testing what running style (heel to toe or forefoot) minimizes pain in the knee. Sports Enhancement Understand running the running style that suits you and your body best will help optimize strength and endurance. Correcting muscle imbalance and optimise mechanic efficiency, Strength and power to reduce risk of re-injury, improving running speed and shorten down time for recovery.Plantar Fasciopathy
Pain in the bottom of the foot or arch usually occurs with tight calves or poor loading mechanics. What can you do? Regular conditioning and muscle relaxation therapy to balance out tension build up in the muscle around the foot and leg. Getting proper footwear to suit your running style. Awareness of proper training progression to avoid "Too Much, Too Soon" pitfall. What can MyPhysio do? We will usually start with foot and ankle testing to see what structures are involved if there is no prior MRIs taken. Check for stability of the foot and ankle and functional movement ability. Correct any running biomechanical compensations that may cause future problems, manage the pain, and provide exercises to prevent further injury. Recommendation to see a podiatrist if indicated. Sports Enhancement Our first goal is to get you pain free while concurrently improving on your foot and lower limb mechanics to minimize load on the arch of the foot Improve running endurance to tackle longer distances without painAnterior/Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (Shin Splint)
Repetitive stress/impact over leg with poor distribution of load due to inefficient movement pattern will increase the loading stress over the shin bone. Pain will present either on the front/side (anterior) or the inside (Medial) of the shin bone. What can you do? Regular conditioning and muscle relaxation therapy to balance out tension build up in the muscle around the foot and leg. Calf stretches and lower body muscle releases with massage balls or foam rollers Awareness of proper training progression to avoid "Too Much, Too Soon" pitfall. What can MyPhysio do? Provide advise on proper stretching, myofascial releases and self releases at home Correct any running biomechanical compensations that may cause future problems, manage the pain, and provide exercises to prevent further injury. Recommendation to see a podiatrist if indicated. Sports Enhancement Improve endurance and speed when lower limb musculature is optimized for usage.IT Band Friction Syndrome
Pain is found in the lateral(outside) part of the hip joint or the knee joint. This occurs due to increase abrasion of the iliotibial band on the hip or knee joint caused by tightness or poor mechanics. What can you do? Regular conditioning and muscle relaxation therapy to balance out tension build up in the muscle over the lower limb. Foam rolling the lateral quads, releasing the gluts and hamstrings. Releasing of the ITB will help minimally as it is a fiber and not a muscle. What can MyPhysio do? ITB tightness is usually caused by poor loading mechanics that leads to tightness in the knee musculature. Correcting biomechanical compensations that may cause future problems and provide exercises to prevent further injury is key. Sports Enhancement Improving loading mechanics improves running times and saves unnecessary wearing for the knee joint. Increase longevity of your running career. We go through footwork drills, strength and conditioning advice to correct muscle imbalance and optimise mechanic efficiency, strength and power to reduce risk of re-injury.Ankle Sprains
Chronic ankle instability? Accidentally step on off a curb or when running on uneven surfaces? Ankle sprains are a common problem we see at the clinic for runners.
What can you do?Do not untie your shoelaces until you get a chance to ice the foot, otherwise the swelling in the foot will be accelerated and cause more pain. Ice it on and off for 10 min cycles, 2 to 3 times right after the sprain happens or when you get home.
What can MyPhysio do? There are a few things we will check to assess the situation. Check the severity of the sprain and which ligament are affected, and if it requires recommend an X-ray or MRI. Check for stability of the ankle, provide recommendations for stability braces if needed, Correct any biomechanical compensations that may cause future problems, manage the pain, and provide exercises to prevent further injury. Recommendation to see a orthopedic foot specialist. Sports Enhancement Check stability with uneven surfaces, jump and landing positions. Check running mechanics and foot work for sprinting and deceleration