Running and jogging – How to prevent Injury?

By Darren Macfarlane, Sports Injury & Rehabilitation Specialist

Running is an effective way to exercise and is a great way to keep healthy and fit, it has also been proved as a way of preventing high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems. Perhaps the most frustrating thing that can happen once you are training and competing, is to suffer an injury. However, running injuries are common although injuries are less frequent than injuries from other sports. They tend to be overuse injuries and usually develop slowly over many weeks. Running is a sport of passion; why else would you put your bodies through miles of punishment each week. About one in every three recreational runners will have a running-related injury at some stage in their life.

Many jogging or running-related injuries occur in the lower leg because of the repetitive stress that running places on the lower leg. . Roughly three out of every four running-related injuries occur in the lower leg. Common sites include the knee, ankle, shin and foot. Blisters, shin pain, soft tissue injuries such as a pulled muscle are common problems. Runners are also likely to experience back and groin injuries. The best way to avoid running injuries is to prevent them. It is important to pay attention to your body don’t ignore the early warning signs of an injury.

Running does have a risk of injury but if you follow some simple guidelines like warming up, wearing the right clothes and not pushing yourself too hard, most injuries can be prevented.

Common injuries include:

Blisters – caused by the foot sliding or rubbing inside the shoe.
Shin pain – pain and inflammation in the muscles and tendons that run the length of the shin.
Soft tissue injuries – such as a pulled muscle or ligament sprain.
Skin injuries – such as bruises. Falling over while running or jogging can cause cuts and abrasions.

Some of the factors that can increase your risk of injury include:

· Training errors: the most common errors are sudden changes in running activity, such as increased distanced or intensity. An example would be a novice runner how starts running regularly and attempts too much too soon, resulting in an overuse injury. Persistent high-intensity training without taking easy days with lower intensity. Repetitive hill training. Overtraining – running beyond your current level of fitness can put muscles, tendons and ligaments under strain. Shin pain is a common overuse injury in runners. It is important to pay attention to your body and to avoid the terrible too’s .Too much too soon, too often, too fast, too hard combined with too little rest. The key is to avoid doing too much too soon.

Incorrect technique: poor running style can increase the risk of injuries. For example, running flat-footed pulls on the shin muscles and may cause small tears.
Incorrect shoes: the wrong type of shoe can increase the risk of various injuries including blisters and shin pain. Properly fitting running shoes can help prevent injuries. Look for light-weight shoes that breathe well and offer good arch and ankle support also with good shock absorbing capacity to help in injury prevention.
Incorrect clothing: wearing the wrong clothes can contribute to overheating, sunburn or cold injuries.
Hard surfaces: the impact of running on hard surfaces, such as bitumen, can cause injuries including shin pain and stress fractures.
Other environmental factors: such as running surfaces that are too loose and unstable. Colder weather needs a longer warm up. Athletes who don’t risk injury due to cold inflexible muscles.
If you feel particularly tired, whether from overtraining, work, or post cold or flu, do not train hard.

If you develop an ache or pain, it is likely to be one of the following common running injuries:

Ankle Sprains: the most common of all ankle injuries that runners experience, an ankle sprain occurs when there is a stretching and tearing of ligaments surrounding the ankle joint.
Achilles Tendonitis: is a painful condition of the tendon in the back of the ankle. Left untreated, Achilles tendonitis can lead to an increased risk of Achilles tendon rupture.
Blisters: Runners often develop blisters - fluid-filled sacks on the surface of the skin - on their feet.
Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness: Also called "DOMS," this muscle pain, stiffness or soreness occurs 24-48 hours after particularly intense exercise or a new running program.
Hamstring Pull, Tear, or Strain : Hamstring injuries are common among runners and can range from minor strains to total rupture of the muscle at the back of the thigh.
Illiotibial Band Syndrome: IT band friction syndrome often results in knee pain that is generally felt on the outside (lateral) aspect of the knee or lower.
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: This term usually refers to pain under and around the knee cap.
Plantar Fasciitis: Plantar Fasciitis is the most common cause of pain on the bottom of the heel due to inflammation of the thick ligament of the base of the foot and usually defined by pain during the first steps of the morning .A tight, inflamed plantar fascia can cause pain when walking or running, and can lead to the formation of a heel spur
Pulled or Strained Calf Muscle: calf strain occurs when part of the muscles of the lower leg (gastrocnemius or soleus) is pulled from the Achilles tendon. It is similar to an Achilles tendon rupture, but occurs higher up in the back of the leg.
Shin Splints: Shin Splints describes a variety of generalized pain that occurs in the front of the lower leg along the tibia (shin bone). Shin Splints are considered a cumulative stress injury.
Sprains and Strains: These are acute injuries that vary in severity but usually result in pain, swelling, bruising, and loss of the ability to move and use the joint.
Stress Fractures: Stress fractures in the leg are often the result of overuse or repeated impacts on a hard surface
Some tips to help prevent injuries include:

· Warm up before running. Include plenty of slow and sustained stretches. Make sure you thoroughly stretch the muscles in your thighs and calf’s.

· Cool down after running. Incorporate stretches into your cool-down routine.

· Drink plenty of water before, during and after your run.

· Don’t push too hard beyond your current level of fitness. Plan to gradually increase how long and how often you run over a few months.

· Start slowly at a pace at which you can have a conversation without breathlessness.

· Wear layers of clothing on your upper body to avoid overheating. Wear loose cotton clothing.

· Listen to your body .Reduce your intensity, duration and exercise frequency when experiencing muscle soreness.

· Consider having regular professional sports massage to relax tight, sore muscles to prevent injuries.

· Avoid running near roads. Inhaling vehicle exhaust fumes can cause a range of breathing-related (respiratory) problems.

· Run on a clear, smooth, even and reasonably soft surface. Avoid uneven surfaces, sand and concrete.

· Gradually introduce surface changes.

· Don’t wear regular runners when running. Professionally fitted shoes designed for running will support your feet and reduce your risk of injury. Take your old runners with you when purchasing new ones so the salesperson can identify where your shoes wear the most and choose the right footwear to suit your feet. Replace your running shoes frequently. Shock absorbing capability will diminish gradually and may be inadequate after 350 to 550 miles. The upper of the shoe may not show much wear, but the shock absorption may still be gone. If you are running 20 miles per week, you should be replacing your shoes between 4 and 8 months depending upon your shock absorption needs. It is always cheaper to replace shoes than having months of treatment for a running injury.

· Pay attention to your body.

· Don’t ignore what your body is telling you. If something is hurting pay attention to it, find out why, and change what is making it hurt. Rest if necessary, but if the pain doesn’t go visit a sport injury specialist.

What to do if you injure yourself

· Stop running. Trying to push through the pain will only make the injury worse and delay your recovery.

· Treat soft tissue injuries such as ligament or muscle sprains with rest, icepacks, compression and elevation (raising the injured area above the level of your heart).After three days and pain does not ease, see a sport injury specialist for assessment and treatment.

· See your sports injury and rehabilitation specialist promptly for diagnosis and treatment.

· Do not run again until the injury has been treated and completely healed. In the meantime, switch to a low impact form of exercise that doesn’t aggravate the injury, such as swimming.

· When you return to running after illness or injury, be cautious and work up gradually to your former level.

Ask your, sports injury and rehabilitation specialists for advice before you start running again.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON RUNNING INJURIES AND TREATMENT CONTACT OUR GALWAY CLINIC ON