Warning Signs of Running Injuries
Running is one of the easiest way of staying fit. It’s also one of the easiest way of developing a sports injury.
Running injuries are quite common and they usually affect the knees, hips, feet and ankles of runners. Most of the running injuries are the overuse ones; meaning that they normally creep up on the runner gradually. This is why spotting early warning signs of running injuries, and taking the appropriate action, is the best thing to do.
Here are the warning signs that may indicate you have injured yourself while running:
Pain Which Doesn’t Go Away Even After Running
This describes a situation where you experience a specific area of pain after running, which normally gets worse when bearing weight, but can also hurt when not bearing any weight (even when asleep). The most common sites for this pain is usually inside the edge of the shin bone (tibia), and the long toe bones (metatarsals). This may be caused by overtraining; doing too much, way too soon, or poor training technique.
Pain In Your Heel
The pain may start as a slight tightness around the heel; usually preceded by a tight calf. If you wake up in the morning, and you feel like you cannot walk properly for a couple minutes, this is a warning sign. Eventually, the pain may get worse such that it’s so intense, you feel like somebody is drilling into your heel. If you experience this, you should stop running immediately, and seek specialized medical help.
Pain Which Increases In Intensity
This may begin as a general ache in your knee, and eventually grows worse after a run or the following day, to an extent that you cannot sit with the knee bent, or even go down stairs without experiencing excruciating pain. This kind of pain can either be as a result of tight quadricep muscles, or Iliotibial Band Syndrome. If you experience this kind of pain, you need to stop running, and seek immediate medical help.
Blisters
This is the buildup of fluid which is caused by friction between your socks/shoes and skin. You might experience irritation, pain, and then followed by formation of the blisters. Some of the common causes of blisters include, but not limited to, ill fitting socks and running shoes which do not fit or aren’t appropriate for your particular needs. Blisters may also be a warning sign indicating that the foot is always landing on a particular point each and every time, which might suggest that you need to carefully review your training technique.
Pain Which Persists During a Run
It is one thing to feel stiff, tight or achy when you first start running/jogging, but if the pain does not go away within the first mile or so, then that is a warning sign indicating that it’s more than just a slight niggle.
In case you notice any of the above signs, it is time to take a break. Whether you injured yourself by over training or by accident, don’t fret. You simply need to reach out to a qualified and trained professional, and chances are that you will recover much faster and resume your daily training, than if you decided to just sit and wait.
So, if you have noticed any of the above signs, contact the Institute for Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine (IASM), and Dr. Jeffrey Halbrecht M.D. and his team will have you treated and back to your training in no time at all.