Common Running Injuries: Prevention and Treatment

Running injuries usually happen when you push yourself too hard. The way your body moves also plays a role.

You can prevent many of them. Here's how.

1. Runner's knee. This is a common overuse injury. Runner's knee has several different causes. It often happens when your kneecap is out of alignment.

Over time, the cartilage on your kneecap can wear down. When that happens, you may feel pain around the kneecap, particularly when:

• Going up or down stairs
• Squatting
• Sitting with the knee bent for a long time

2. Stress fracture. This is a small crack in a bone that causes pain and discomfort. It typically affects runners in the shin and feet. It's often due to working too hard before your body gets used to a new activity.

Pain gets worse with activity and improves with rest. Rest is important, as continued stress on the bone can lead to more serious injury and slow down recovery.

3. Shin splint. This is pain that happens in the front or inside of the lower leg along the shin bone (tibia). Shin splints are common after changing your workout, such as running longer distances or increasing the number of days you run, too quickly. Painwise, they can be hard to distinguish from a stress fracture of the shin, but the pain is usually more spread out along the bone. Also, an xray is normal.

People with flat feet are more likely to develop shin splints.

Treatment includes:

Rest
• Stretching exercises
• Slow return to activity after several weeks of healing

4. Achilles tendinopathy. Formerly called tendinitis, this is inflammation of the Achilles tendon. That's the large tendon that attaches the calf to the back of the heel.

Achilles tendinitis causes pain and stiffness in the area of the tendon, especially in the morning and with activity. It is usually caused by repetitive stress to the tendon. Adding too much distance to your running routine can cause it. Tight calf muscles can also contribute.

Treatment includes:

Rest
• Icing the area
• Calf stretches

5. Muscle pull. This is a small tear in your muscle, also called a muscle strain. It's often caused by overstretching a muscle. If you pull a muscle, you may feel a popping sensation when the muscle tears.

Tips to Prevent Running Injuries

By taking a few precautions and planning, you can prevent many common running injuries. Here are some tips for preventing injuries.

Listen to your body: Don't ignore pain. A little soreness is OK. But if you notice consistent pain in a muscle or joint that doesn't get better with rest, see your health care provider.

Treatment of Common Running Injuries

Most running injuries can be relieved by following these treatment strategies. If pain and discomfort continues, see your health care provider. You may need more advanced treatment to resolve your running injury.

Rest: Take it easy. If you keep running, your injury may get worse. Choose alternative ways to exercise while you heal, such as swimming or cycling.

Ice and cold therapy: Apply ice packs to reduce pain, inflammation, and swelling.

Compression: Wrap the affected area with tape and use splints and supports to control swelling and stabilize the affected area.

Elevate: If you sprain your ankle or hurt your foot, elevate it to reduce swelling.

Stretch: To reduce pain and tension of the affected area, gently stretch and massage the injured area.

Pain relievers: Take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve), as recommended by your health care provider to relieve pain and inflammation.

Don't try to push through pain. If you notice discomfort, take a break from running. If the pain continues, seek care from your health care provider.

Read more on: fitness exercise, guide