Striders
Coaching Advisory Group
Striders
Coaching Advisory Group
Marathon
Training
· Injury & Recovery
Most running injuries affect soft tissue structures especially those in major groups.
Muscle tears fall into two categories; acute and chronic. The acute muscle tear is a classic muscle injury of explosive sports such as sprinting, squash, tennis and soccer. The symptoms will be a severe pain to the area of the affected muscle and a loss of function. The muscle will be in spasm (a protective mechanism), is tender and be prone to swelling quickly after the injury has occurred. The skin overlying the injured area may also show signs of bruising. This type of injury is normally caused by a muscle imbalance between opposing muscle groups, inadequate warm up and muscle fatigue.
For the long distance runner such as you, the members of this club, the chronic muscle tear is much more common. Unlike the acute tear, the pain occurs following exercise. When it first occurs it is possible to run through it, but the pain will grow progressively worse. Running at any sort of pace will become impossible. The pain is usually found in the larger muscle groups and can be deep seated. This pain will pass off with rest and can be treated, but may leave the area weak and prone to future injury.
The risk of getting these types of muscle injury can be minimised or reduced by a few simple steps. Stretching and strengthening exercises may help reduce the risks of injury by introducing more flexibility and correcting imbalances and weaker areas. It may also help prevent the re-occurance of a similar injury once the current injury has healed. The appropriate shoe is also important to help correct biomechanical imbalances and reduce injury. When undertaking dynamic and explosive sports, a full and comprehensive warm up is recommended to help minimise the risk of injury. It is equally important to warm up after recovering to prevent further similar tears.
If
treating the injury seek medical advice.
Sports physios, sports massage therapists and osteopaths may
well offer better advice than you GP.
The usual RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) principle
may apply. However some injuries will respond well to
cross-friction massage of the affected area.
There are a variety of injuries that can affect the knee. Many give rise to similar symptoms and so it is difficult for the ordinary runner to self diagnose with any degree of confidence. Expert advice should always be sought.
Some knee injuries originate from earlier incidents in other sports. If the ligaments have been damaged, for example, and have not been fully rehabilitated the uptake of a new sport which involves repetitive load bearing through the region can bring about new problems.
Other knee problems can arise with muscle weaknesses or imbalances usually in the quads. Runners Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome) produces localised pain around the kneecap usually after a predicable distance. It becomes gradually worse and is exacerbated by running long distances. Walking up and down stairs as is squatting causes discomfort.
Bursitis is also common in the knee joint. This is a condition where the bursae (fluid sacs positioned around the joints to reduce friction) become inflamed. This condition will give rise to pain and restrict movement in the knee joint. The condition is difficult to diagnose and the symptoms are similar to those for tendonitis.
Tendonitis is a sprain to the ligament which holds the bones together. The ligament can be prone to sprains of varying degrees of intensity from a small stretch to a complete tear and recovery can take several weeks or months. The joint will become painful and will swell. RICE and medical advice is recommended to aid recovery.
Another common injury to affect the knee and cause pain is illiotibial band (ITB) friction syndrome. The illiotibial band is a thick strip of tendon that extends from the hip to the tibia immediately below the line of the knee joint. When the knee is bent the tendon may make contact with the femoral epicondyle and it is this which it is believed causes the pain. The pain will increase during exercise as the two rub together but will stop during rest. Again this can be helped by a combination of shoes, changes to training, surfaces and specific stretching exercises. Ice and anti-inflamatories can also help.