How to Prevent Running Injuries
Runners are prone to a lot of injuries. Overusing of their feet and overtraining are the main culprits for common running injuries. Other causes include ill-fitting footwear, irregular biomechanics and the lack of flexibility and strength.
Runner’s knee
It is a condition that causes pain in the knee and is characterized by the wear away of the back of the kneecap.
Causes:
• Reduced strength of the quadriceps muscles
• Ill-fitted shoes with no proper support for the inside of the forefoot.
Treatment and prevention:
• Strengthening exercise which focuses on quad muscles.
• Use of sports orthotics.
• Preventive measures include hip strengthening and quad-strengthening exercises to keep the alignment of the kneecap.
• Physical therapy
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Stress fractures
These are fractures brought about by too much or repeated mechanical stress. It can also occur in several locations like the leg inner bone, bone at the base of the spine, thigh bone, and bones of the toe.
Causes:
• Improper running style
• Lack of calcium
• Overtraining
Treatment and prevention:
• Wear proper footwear.
• Run only on flat and hard surfaces. It will absorb some of the shock that running created.
General preventive tips
The best way to stay away from these running injuries is through prevention.
1. Wear footwear with proper fitting. You should also wear footwear that is appropriate on the activity that you will be doing. The only available protective gear for runners that can save them from having injuries are running shoes.
2. Consider your running routine like training schedules, strengthening and flexibility. These things should be considered and adjusted to your running needs to help maximize your running time while minimizing the possibility of injury.
3. Do stretching exercises before and after a run as it enables your muscles to have greater flexibility and lesser chance of getting an
The knee joints is one of the primary joints stressed when running and thus most of the
Harder surfaces cause a greater impact forces applied on the body (Newton’s third law of motion). This depends on the speed of running, on running surfaces and shoes, therefore forces on the joints can rise by up to 7-14 times of the body weight which could prompt to intense injuries.
Consider eating an energy bar or fruit approximately two hours before tackling a run. Another great snack food you should stock up on is frozen mixed berries. They help you to recover after a run and promote muscle repair. Dark chocolate is great for when you want to indulge, because it helps to fight infection, a problem when you have an injury.
A calf muscle strain can be treated different ways. One of the ways would be with self care at home. If you are stubborn and reluctant to go to a doctors, you should take an anti-inflammatory drug such as naproxen or ibuprofen to reduce pain, as well as applying ice packs and elevating the torn part of the muscle. In addition, one should protect the strained muscle from further injury, rest the strain, apply compression with an Ace or other elastic bandage to provide support and decrease swelling, and elevating the injured area. If the home remedies do not work, or the pain persists and is too unbearable, then one should seek medical assistance. When this is the case, the doctors will check your medical history and perform a physical exam. This is to establish whether or not the muscle is partially or completely torn. This is important to make sure the proper healing process and timeframe is recommended, that possible surgery is discussed, or that if needed, a more complicated recovery is discussed. While for more severe injuries, the medical treatment can be quite strenuous, for small injuries, the treatment by doctors is similar to the treatment at home. However, it is important to see a doctor so they can accurately diagnose the extent of the injury, and restrict your activity for a few days, as well as determine if an brace or crutches are
This article is about the fast growing technique of endurance running, which has evolved over the years significantly. Although it may seem like a bit trendy and popular, this particular type of running has its pros and cons. Due to the fact that endurance running includes a various amount of repetitive ground impact forces, it is not unlikely for one to develop a stress injury to the lower leg. In order to decrease the risk that comes along with endurance running, preventative measures should be enforced. When running some of the most common injuries that one may be at risk for are patellofemoral pain syndrome, tibial stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendonitis. But in this article, a new study suggests that Barefoot running contains the potential to promote the healing process, increase performance, and decrease injury rates. Still to this day disagreement exists as to whether barefoot/minimalist running stimulates healing, increases performance and decreases injury rates.
Calf injuries usually occur as a result of a sudden pushing off movement or from excessive over-stretching of the calf muscles as demonstrated in jumping activities or during quick changes of direction. Symptoms of a calf strain can vary significantly but usually involve a sudden sharp pain at the back of the lower leg. The calf muscle will often be tender to touch at the point of injury and swelling and bruising may appear within hours or days. Depending on how bad the calf injury is, the athlete may be able to continue exercising although he/she will often have some discomfort / tightness during or after the session. When injuries are more severe the athlete can recall when the injury occurred and or they may be unable to walk due to severe
Extend your left / right leg behind you, and bend your front knee slightly. Your heels should be on the floor.
injuries, it for your own protection, its correction to your feet. Runners should wear shoes because it won’t cause injuries to your feet.
The best way to prevent injuries from occurring is to take the appropriate precautionary actions. The first major rule is: don’t strain. The majority of running injuries occur from overtraining. It is important for a runner to incorporate hard days and easy days into his/her exercise routine. You need to give your body time to rest so that it can repair itself. Fatigue accumulates and if you don't ease up occasionally, you won't improve. Being overtired will eventually lead to injury because your body needs a chance to recover and strengthen itself. Also, avoid doing too much too soon. Dr. Stephen Pribut suggests that "Mileage should usually only be increased approximately ten percent per week. Every third week, you should drop back a small amount. For most runners one or two days a week, at least, should be devoted to rest or
This can occur in the game in rugby when players are sprinting for tries or to make short breaks. If the hamstring has not been warmed up properly or if the football field is wet and slippery, this can lead to hamstring injuries as is the hamstring muscle is not prepared as the force applied to it, or may be cause stretching if the player slips. Hamstring injuries occur in a tackle or ruck if the hamstring is put in an awkward position. Players must also ensure they adopt proper running technique, as poor technique can compromise the
If your muscles aren’t warmed up before a game, then an athlete is more prone to injuries and athletes with bad muscle flexibility will experience more soreness. Most athletes ranging from ages 10-12 will have less natural flexibility. Try to avoid pressure that is put on young athletes to over train. If you start to feel an intensity of pain or discomfort then decrease your training time. If you do not maintain your body that's when you with have a chance of a strain or sprain.Warming up with some sort of drill or running in place will warm up your muscles. Then, after you warm up stretch and hold each stretch for 30 seconds. After a period of inactivity, progress gradually back into full contact soccer.Throughout the year you should keep yourself on a strength and aerobic workout program to maintain good fitness. This will help in the occurrence to decrease the chances to have an
Based on what I’ve learned on class, I can implement some strategies to avoid injuries when exercising. I will warm up properly before each exercise to increase my core temperature and prepare my muscles, ligaments, and tendons for movement. I can do at least five minutes of warm up, follow with 5 minutes of stretching exercises. This strategy will help me to prevent muscle pulls, strains, sprains, and soreness. I will gradually prepare the body for vigorous movements. Also, I will cool down for five minutes at the end of each exercise session to avoid injury and reduce muscle soreness the next day. Moreover, I will gradually increase the duration and intensity of each workout to prevent muscular injuries. Adding small increments is better than adding too much too soon. I will have rest periods of 24 to 48 hours to receive the benefits of each exercise and for muscle recovery.
This condition is caused by repeated stress or injuries (trauma) that weaken the femur over time.
For people who often running or cycling, they are more likely to enhance the distance as well as the intensity of their practices after a long time practicing. As a result, this can cause the tendon and calves to become hurt and strained. This will make lots of people find it hard to jog around the neighborhood every morning.
Foot injuries are very common in athletics as well as in everyday life. It’s very debilitating to have a foot injury since we use our feet in all of our daily activities. Research published in "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise” indicates that the average adult takes between 5,000 to 7,000 steps a day. Some sports require the most dedicated athletes spend multiple hours a day pounding their feet on the turf or pavement. Most injuries that occur in the foot require a person to try and stay off of it or completely immobilize it. Since this is very difficult for a person to do, a large percentage of foot injuries often have a very high chance of reoccurring. The severity of some injuries that can be deceiving as well. Often times a nagging pain is ignored and eventually becomes a much bigger problem.