Runners' Guide: Preventing Common Injuries for a Stronger and Healthier Journey
There are many positive health benefits to running, jogging, and walking including improving the cardiovascular system, strengthening muscles/bones, and maintaining a healthy body weight. Although there are many benefits to running, jogging, and walking; injuries are common. Running is a high impact exercise and overuse can lead to injuries. It is important to allow your body adequate rest and recovery to prevent injuries. Another important aspect to help prevent injuries that many runners overlook is cross training, strength training, and stretching. Incorporating these into your daily exercise schedule will likely make you a stronger and healthier runner overall.
Common injuries many runners face include plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis, IT band syndrome, stress fractures, runner’s knee (patellofemoral syndrome), shin splints, metatarsalgia, capsulitis, hamstring injuries, quadriceps injuries, calf strains, ankle sprains, and even ingrown toenails due to ill-fitting shoes. I will highlight a few of these injuries and steps that can be taken to prevent such injuries.
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common ailments that runners face. The plantar fascia is a ligamentous band that runs from your heel bone to your toes. This ligamentous band helps support the arch of your foot. Inflammation of this band of tissue can be very debilitating to a runner and cause significant pain. Symptoms include a sharp stabbing pain typically worse in the morning or after a period of rest, swelling and tightness around the heel, and pain likely after exercise not during. Causes can include improper shoe gear, overuse, tight muscles (particularly calf muscles), and foot biomechanics.
Shin splints is another common injury seen in runners. Medically known as medial tibial stress syndrome, this condition is caused by repetitive stress to the shinbone and connective tissues that attach your muscles to the bone. This is characterized by a dull ache progressing to a sharp pain on the middle to lower aspect of the inside of the leg. Risk factors include lack of shock absorption, uneven terrain, overuse, and inadequate shoe gear.
Achilles tendonitis is inflammation of the achilles tendon typically at the insertion of the tendon on the calcaneus (heel bone). It is the largest tendon in the body and connects your calf muscles (soleus and gastrocnemius) to your calcaneus. It is used while walking, running, climbing, jumping, in essence anytime you are on your feet. Achilles tendonitis is characterized by dull or sharp pain anywhere along the back of the tendon but usually close to the heel. Sometimes your heel bone can be shaped in a way that will place increased pressure on your achilles tendon. This shape on your heel bone is called Haglund's deformity. An X-ray can help rule this out as a potential cause.
As discussed earlier cross training, strength training, and appropriate stretching are helpful tools to prevent injuries. One common culprit that can cause many of the above injuries is tightness in the calf muscles, stretching routinely is critical. This should be done before and after exercise. A simple and easy stretch is to place the ball of your foot on stairs, and while holding something to steady yourself lower your heels and hold for 10-15 seconds. It is important to feel the stretch within the muscle. You can also keep one foot flat while stretching the other for added stability. Other preventive measures include supportive shoes, inserts/orthotics to help support the arch, a dynamic warm-up, and adequate rest after exercise.
It is important to distinguish the difference between soreness and pain. Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. If you are experiencing pain, it is important to stop the exercise causing the pain. If you are dealing with any foot or ankle injury, please consider making an appointment with Dr. Matthew Jenkins or Dr. Benjamin Webb at Northern Montana Foot and Ankle Specialists. As avid exercise junkies and runners themselves they will gladly help you get back to running pain-free!
