As physiotherapists, we see a wide range of common running injuries in our Ashgrove, Moorooka and Samford clinics. We discuss those and physio for runners in greater detail below.
Common Running Injuries
There’s no denying that running has its physical and mental perks, yet many who choose to pound the pavement to improve or maintain their health and fitness do sustain injuries.
In fact, Sports Medicine Australia says, “up to 70% of recreational and competitive runners sustain overuse injuries during any 12-month period.”
In 2006, it was estimated that 1,224,100 Australians aged 15 years and above took part in running in the previous 12 months. And since the COVID-19 pandemic began, it seems even more people have laced up their shoes.
Running is a great way to exercise. It is easily accessible, you only need yourself and a pair of shoes, it doesn’t have a weekly subscription fee, and it is super convenient!
However, even with all these positives, there is an alarmingly high rate of injury in the running population.
Runners frequently present at our Brisbane clinics with:
- Shin splints
- Achilles tendinopathy
- Plantar fasciitis
- ITB syndrome
- Runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome)
- Hamstring strains or tendinopathy
Why does Running have a High Injury Rate?
1. Overuse/Overload:
More than 80% of running injuries are overuse injuries.
Overuse injuries are a result of a mismatch in how much load you are placing on the body and the amount of load the body can actually tolerate.
Load in this case is running load – distance, speed, frequency etc.
There are many ways you can increase your running load: increasing distance, increasing intensity of a run, reducing rest periods during interval sessions, increasing number of running sessions during your week, etc.
However, not all overload is bad, the body needs overload to get stronger! Overload becomes problematic when the amount you increase exceeds what your body can tolerate.
2. Previous injury:
Previous injury is one of the key predicting factors for future injury.
After an injury it is common to experience changes in strength, muscle and joint tightness, and loss of coordination in both the injured area and surrounding areas.
These changes lead to imbalances throughout the body, which predispose you to overload and injury.
3. Recovery:
Another common cause of injury is putting too much focus on running and neglecting recovery.
Recovery is like eating vegetables as a kid – you never really enjoyed doing it, but both make you a lot stronger and healthier.
The most important aspect of recovery is listening to your body. Your body has evolved over millions of years into a highly intelligent system. It has designed ways of telling you when you’re doing too much.
Symptoms like muscle tightness, joint aches, general fatigue, and pain are the body’s way of letting you know to slow things down.
Recovery also involves taking care of areas in the body that may be getting overworked. Stretching tight muscles or performing targeted mobility exercises for stiff areas is an important part of keeping the body moving in the long run.
How can you Prevent Future Running Injuries?
- Listen to your body:
As mentioned previously, your body will let you know when you’re overdoing it. Longevity in running is all about finding balance. You shouldn’t feel like you’re about to pass out after every run and you shouldn’t feel like you’ve been hit by a truck the next day.
- Run slow to run fast:
Go hard or go home doesn’t work with running. You might find that your fitness improves in the short term but pushing yourself too far during every run eventually leads to overload and injury. Running at a pace where you can hold a conversation is a great place to spend most of your kilometres.
- Increase distance before increasing speed:
This follows on nicely from the previous point. Going slower allows you to go further, and it’s those longer runs at conversation pace that build your endurance.
- Your heart doesn’t know whether you’re running or swimming:
Cross training (i.e. swimming, cycling, resistance training, Pilates etc.) provides your heart with the necessary stimulus to build your aerobic base, plus it allows your body to have a rest from pounding the pavement.
- Pay attention to recovery:
Recovery isn’t glamorous, but it is effective in keeping you running for longer.
- Rest days are vital:
If you are feeling run down or you have been getting progressively tighter over the past couple of days, it’s okay to have a rest day. Your body doesn’t get better during activity, it gets better while you recover.
- Fuel your body properly:
Diet and hydration play a vital role in keeping the body in top shape. Like your car, if you don’t fuel your body, it won’t run. It’s important to think about both quality and quantity of food intake. Eating less processed foods is always a good place to start.
Physio for Runners
Normally, there is more to an injury than meets the eye.
Often, we see clients who present with long-term injuries that haven’t resolved and it can be hard to determine what is really causing the pain.
A physiotherapist’s role is to:
- Identify potential musculoskeletal problems that may be contributing to an injury.
- Assess for movement imbalances left behind from old injuries or niggles.
- Determine whether your training load is acceptable for your current ability or whether it needs modifying.
- Provide appropriate treatment and exercises to address the problems that were identified.
And remember, you don’t have to be in pain to see a physiotherapist.
If you are just starting to run, a physio can assess for any movement imbalances and prepare an appropriate and personalised program to help you achieve your running goal as quickly and as safely as possible.
Unsure whether physiotherapy is appropriate for you? Feel free to contact your closest Brisbane clinic and have a chat about physio for runners with our friendly staff.