If you are familiar with our posts, you will have read ‘why is running a pain’ a few weeks ago. If you haven’t, have a look! It will give you an idea of what may be the cause of your running related injuries. Now that we have identified what the issue may be and the different types of pain that can be caused, this post is going to look at what you should and shouldn’t be doing when you are suffering from injury.
DON’T
1. Ignore the pain – Pain is there for a reason, it is telling you that something isn’t quite right. It can be tempting to think that pain is normal when running, I assure you, it isn’t. You have to listen to your body at times of pain as if you let it linger, it is likely to turn into something more serious in the future. Best to address it now before that happens.
2. Think painkillers are the answer – Painkillers can be used in the short term to aid with pain but shouldn’t be continued unless medically necessary. It is extremely likely that masking the pain will not fix the underlying issue, and will increase the risk of compensation injury. Prescriptions for pain medication have increased 60% in the last 10 years so please be careful when using pain medication, and make sure you consult your GP when doing so.
3. Think a change in footwear will fix everything – Changing shoes is a popular answer for running related injuries, and runners think that new shoes are always the answer as the shoe will do everything for you. Remember, we place 3-5 times our bodyweight through each step when we hit the ground, no matter how supportive your shoes are that is a lot of stress for the bones, muscles, and joints to take! Think less about your footwear and more about strategies to help reduce your ground contact time and limit the stress going through the floor. Do however make sure your shoes fit correctly!
4. Forget the end goal – Whether this is a certain race or simply running as many park runs in a given year, don’t forget why you are training. It can be extremely demoralising when something you love is taken away, try to keep a positive mental attitude towards the injury and use it as motivation to get back stronger. It will also be a lot easier to keep your hands out of the crisp cupboard!
5. Change technique without help – If you have read some of my previous blog posts, you will be aware of the difference between structural and mechanical pain. If your running technique is a contributing factor to the injury, improving form will help alleviate pain, but it is hard to do without guidance. What you think you are doing, and what you are actually doing could be very different. Remember, this is what we do on a daily basis! We identify movement dysfunction and teach you how to run better. I have seen a lot of runners say they have changed their technique because of injury, without coaching it is very difficult to know if what you are doing is correct, seek help from the experts!
DO
1. Rest – Pain is telling you something, especially in the early stages. Within the first three days, your body will be going through a phase of inflammation. It is important to let this happen so the damaged structures can start to heal correctly. A short time period on crutches for serious injuries will make a big difference when you start the rehabilitation process.
2. Use the time wisely – If you are unable to fill the same amount of time running, think of this as an opportunity to work on other areas. Look at developing mobility in your tight areas and strengthen your weak points. Even if you can’t use one side of your body well, focus on some single leg development on the opposite side, as your body will appreciate it in the long run.
3. Cross train – If you worry about losing fitness when you are unable to run, you should be! It can be difficult to maintain your fitness without running, but cross training can help. Whether that is cycling, swimming, the gym cross-trainer or the rowing machine, challenging your cardiovascular system in other ways will limit your CV system de-training too much.
4. Gradually increase when ready – If you miss a number of weeks due to injury, try to forgo the temptation to pick up where you left off. No matter what you do (see point 3 for what you can do), nothing replicates running fitness like running. It is important to increase your miles again slowly, not only considering you are likely to have lost a little fitness, but to make sure your injury doesn’t rear its ugly head again.
5. See a specialist – If your injury persists even when taking into consideration points 1-4, then you may have done some serious damage. Even though Dr Google can provide you with a wide range of diagnoses, it is important to see someone who analyses injuries for a living. Not only to get the correct diagnosis, but to put you on the correct rehabilitation pathway to assist with you getting back to full fitness and function as quick, and as safely as possible.
The hope is that injury won’t happen, unfortunately 65 per cent of runners have to adapt their mileage due to injury every year. My hope is that you take these points on board to limit the effect that injury has, while getting you back on your feet as quickly and safely as possible.
For help with running training in Manchester, get in touch with us today.
