Running injuries are a pest and can be incredibly frustrating when they stop you from staying active and doing the thing you love to do. While majority of all running injuries come down to repetitive stress and loading, acute injuries like sprains and strains can occur as well. Being a runner means that over the span of the year you are likely to cover hundreds or even thousands of kilometres. Think about the toll that repeated impact of your foot strike could have on your muscles and joints.
In following blog series we will let a take a closer look at some of the most common injuries that affect runners and how we can best manage them.
Let’s start with one of the most common running injuries.
Runners Knee, also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome, refers to pain at the front of your knee around the knee cap. It is one of the most common overload injuries for people who frequently run or jump. You may feel an achiness in the knee which can range from mild to quite painful. Commonly the knee gets aggravated with jumping, stairs, squatting and can get worse with ether prolonged sitting or constant repetitive exercise.
Due to the repetitive overload being the key factor in Runner knees, you low limb biomechanics play a key role in the cause. Often we see that poor activity in your glutes and weakness of the muscles around the knee can put you at higher risk of developing Runners knee.
There are some standard steps to you can follow for treating these types of injuries.
– RICE Protocol (rest, ice, compression, elevation)
– Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like Voltaren or Nurofen
– DELOAD – Cutting back how often and how far you run
More specifically for Runners knee, getting physio guided strength and stability exercises to target your deficiencies in biomechanics may include:
– Glutes strengthening, stability and activation
– Quadriceps or hamstring strengthening
– Stretching or releasing tight quads or hip flexors
If you’re suffering from pain when running and want to get thoroughly assessed and an individualised treatment plan made, then book in a full Running Assessment at Befit Physio’s: The Running Space in Randwick.
