Running on Empty: When Fatigue Stops You in Your Tracks

Gua Sha

H.M.T

TMJ

Running Injuries, Their Prevention & Treatments

Running Injuries, Their Prevention & Treatments

(Notes on talk given by Michael Fredericson Associate Professor of Medicine Stanford University)

    Every runner no matter the level of their commitment from a avid, beginner, recreational, to professional will have an injury from running. “For the average recreational runner, who is steadily training and who occasionally participates in a long distance run, the overall yearly incidence rate for running injuries is between 37- 56%” (Van Mechelen, Sports Med 1992).  Most running injuries are lower extremity overuse injuries, with a predominance for the knee.There are three main reasons why people get injured from running.
   
                 -  Overtraining: Too much, too soon, too fast!!!
                 -  Malalignment: such as bowlegged or knocked knees
                 -  Muscle Imbalances: Outside thigh muscles are stronger than the weaker inside muscles.

The most common running injuries

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee)
    Symptoms:
    - Vague pain under the knee cap.
    - Feel pain running up hills and worse running down hills.
    Treatment:
    - Loosen up quad and hip muscles.
    - Strengthen quad muscles by doing squats without weight.
    - Return to running by building speed and distance gradually.

Iliotibial Band Syndrome
    Symptoms:
    - Lateral knee pain, burning, tightness.
    - Pain is reproducible (happens at the same time or distance while running)
    Treatment:
    - Stretch IT Band.
    - Foam roll from hip to knee.
    - Myofascial therapy on IT Band and hip muscles.
    - Strengthen hip abductor muscles (gluteus medius and minimus).
    - Return to running by starting with faster strides and gradually increasing distance.

Shin Splints
    Symptoms:
    - Pain on inside side of shin.
    Treatments:
    - Stretch superficial and deep calf muscles
    - Myofascial therapy on superficial and deep muscles.
    - Strength shin muscles by walking on heels.
    - Avoid over-striding and run with a slight forward lean.
    - Deep water training.

Achilles Tendinitis
   Symptoms:
   - Pain in achilles tendon right above the heal.
   Treatment:
   - Myofascial therapy on superficial and deep calve muscles.
   - Eccentric strengthening of calves (slowly lowering calves down below foot level with knee straight and knee bent).

Plantar Fascitis
   Symptoms:
   - Sharp, diffuse heel pain
   - Worse in early morning
   Treatment:
   - Tape bottom of foot
   - Stretch bottom of foot
   - Orthotics
   - Night Splints
   - Strengthen bottom of foot (picking up marbles)
   - Run barefoot on the grass a few times a week. (If you can tolerate it)