Running season is upon us. For most of us, that means getting those running shoes back on our feet and battling the cold, dark mornings to get outside and get those legs pumping.
But, for a lot of us, it also means those old aches and pains may begin to get a bit niggly again.
Running injuries are EXTREMELY common- far more common than we would like. Research suggests that up to 90% of recreational runners will get an injury at some stage.
If you do get injured, it’s not the end of the world. Follow these 6 simple steps to get back on track quick-smart and then perform at your peak.
1. Get professionally assessed!
Pain should never be ignored. It is the body’s way of telling you something is up: that if you continue doing what you’re doing you may hurt yourself.
Pain is an opportunity. It is a chance to understand your body better and then improve how you move and function. We have never had a patient who didn’t learn something about themselves from their experience with us. True injury prevention is about understanding why it occurred in the first place. Very often most people simply don’t know what they don’t know.
So don’t just push through pain. Enroll into pain school at Kinetic Healthcare and embark on a journey of self-improvement.
Call 9232 5277 or book online at www.kinetichealthcare.com.au
2. Fix your running technique
If running is the cause of your injuries, it only makes sense to get your running technique assessed.
Something we see a lot at Kinetic is people who over-stride. Over-striding is when you land with your foot too far away from your centre of mass. This is commonly associated with heel striking, increased tibial angle and knee locking, which are associated with injuries throughout the body, as well as decreased energy efficiency.
At Kinetic, we use motion capture video analysis to film and assess our runners’ technique, breaking it down from foot strike through to mid-stance and toe off. This allows us to identify key running technique issues that may be predisposing someone to injury. We pride ourselves on treating not just pain, but the CAUSE of pain. If you’re not looking at HOW you are running, you are missing half the picture.
Call 9232 5277 or book a running technique assessment at www.kinetichealthcare.com.au
3. Back off the training load
Up to 85% of running injuries are due to training errors. These most commonly occur because people have increased their running intensity or duration too quickly for their body to accommodate. Remember the 10-30% rule!
At Kinetic, we will ALWAYS ask you about your training load because it is an integral part of getting you back to running pain-free as well as understanding why you got injured in the first place.
4. Avoid running down hill
When you run down hill, you are more likely to over-stride. This causes increased forces to be attenuated by your body when you run. Thus, if you are managing an injury, avoid running down hill for some time.
5. Vary the terrain
The body is adaptable and resilient. It loves variation. Varying the terrains you are running on may help better manage the loads from the ground up when you run. Therefore, get off the concrete for a bit and try running on the grass.
6. Mix up your training
You don’t become a great runner from ONLY running. You become a great runner from having a well-structured, specific training program, of which running training is one part.
All runners should be doing strength and conditioning. It is associated with injury prevention as well as improved performance. From our perspective, we have never rehabilitated an injury without some form of exercise prescription.
If running training is more of what you want, try running in the pool. It is just like running on the ground, but the idea is to run through the water, focusing on keeping your shoulders above the level of water. This is a great way to still get all the training benefits of running training without the impact of running on solid ground.
So there you have it. Here are lots of practical ways you can get out of injury quick-smart and remain that way. After all, it is the smart runner who stays injury-free.
If you have any questions, feel free to get in contact with us! Email mike@kinetichealthcare.com.au or book in for a consultation at www.kinetichealthcare.com.au or by phoning 9232 5277.
Alternative Foot Solutions are Sydney podiatrists, providing treatment for bunions, heel pain & plantar fasciitis and other foot related conditions from their 2 clinics in Sydney CBD and Manly Vale. AFS provide freedom from foot pain without the need for surgery, drugs or orthotics through gentle hands on manipulation that addresses the underlying cause of your condition.
Kinetic Healthcare are Sydney chiropractors that provide treatment for conditions such as back and neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain and ankle pain. They have two convenient locations, within the CBD and Narellan. They strive to find the underlying problem not just treating the symptoms.