Keep That Spring in Your Step: How to Avoid Common Running Injuries

Anyone who runs on a regular basis, whether to keep fit or relieve stress, knows that staying injury free is crucial in order to continue your routine.  Most runners are aware of the risks that can accompany running, but with running season in full swing it's a great time to remind you of some of the causes of the most common running injuries. Knowledge is power and knowing the causes of common running injuries will help you to avoid them.

Top 5 common running injuries:

1.      Runner’s knee - a very common running injury, usually attributed to overuse. Over time, with regular activity, the cartilage in the kneecap begins to wear down, causing considerable pain.

2.      Plantar fasciitis - an inflammation of the tissues in the bottom of the foot that connect the heel with the toes. There are a number of different causes, but increased activity or strain on the foot muscles are very common causes for runners.

3.      Shin splints - pain in the front inside of the shin bone. These are often the result of a change in your running routine where you've denied your body the proper prep. Even subtle changes like increasing the distance of your run or the number of days that you run can lead to shin splints.

4.      Achilles tendinitis - inflammation of the Achilles tendon. Symptoms include pain and stiffness, and the development of the condition is often a result of repetitive stress on the tendon due to changes in your routine.

5.      Ankle sprains - caused by the stretching or tearing of the muscles around the ankle. Injuries, such as twisting or falling on the ankle, can cause these sprains.

How can you avoid these, and other common running injuries? One of the best ways to avoid an injury, especially a sports related one, is to educate yourself. What better way to do this than by attending a running injury clinic? A running injury clinic hosted by a sports medicine clinic can give you the right tools to help you plan your running routine.  One of the greatest assets to a session like this involves helping you understand how to better avoid common running injuries.

Running injury clinic tips:

-         Plan: don’t just head out there every day and run a different track and expect your body to react well. Make sure that you set a plan for yourself where changes in routine are given appropriate periods of time to adjust. Planning a session with a trainer for an assessment is also a smart idea.

-         Equip:  those decade old running shoes are probably not going to offer the support you need to keep common running injuries at bay, so attend a running clinic to learn what types of footwear will best suit your individual needs.

-         Stretch: prepping your body before any run is critical to getting it primed. A running injury clinic can help you discover the pre and post-run stretches that will help you avoid the pain of a running injury.

-         Listen: never ignore your body. If it is in pain, don’t ignore it – chances are pain isn’t going to just go away, and could get worse. There are many different treatment options available to treat running injuries, so attend a sports injury clinic to have running injuries looked at right away.

For more information about how to avoid common running injuries or to find out more about our running injury clinic, contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine by calling 416-800-0800 or visit www.aesm.ca.