RECOVERY // The runner's toolkit

+ The runner’s

Prevent the six most common running injuries with simple advice and a smart action plan

Words: Dr Juliet McGrattan

Have you ever been injured? It’s the pits! While running helps you to stay mentally and physically well, not being able to do it is incredibly frustrating. And it’s all the more miserable when you miss a race you’ve trained for or aren’t able to join friends for a run.

According to medical studies, around 50 per cent of recreational runners get injured every year. That’s a huge number, and if you’ve had an injury, you’re at higher risk of having another one too.

While your heart can sink at the thought of it, having an injury can be turned into a positive. There are so many things you can do to injury-proof your body; simple everyday steps you can take to reduce your risk of being side-lined or having to hang up your trainers for good. Time invested today will brighten your running future.

We’ve created this injury toolkit to help you become a runner who isn't always asking, ‘What if?’ What if I’d warmed up properly? What if I’d stopped running as soon as the pain began? What if I hadn’t wobbled off the kerb? Instead, be the runner who is proactively looking at ways to prevent and overcome injury.

|| There are simple everyday steps you can take to reduce your risk of being side-lined or having to hang up your trainers for good ||

We look at six common running injuries and their causes and treatments. For each, we’ve picked the brain of Madia Rashid, a chartered physiotherapist from physio4me specialising in women’s health. Madia is a keen runner who likes to use Pilates to aid recovery and prevent injury in sport. She has a series of running workouts on her website at physio4me.com.

Madia shares her tips on what to avoid and what action to take to prevent each common injury. We’ve also got an injury prevention essentials checklist, advice from a dietician and a motivating story from a runner who has had more than her fair share of injuries. Whether you’re frequently injured or never been injured before, don’t leave your future injury risk down to luck.

RUNNER’S KNEE

Runner’s knee is a common, and sometimes chronic, problem. It may manifest as a dull pain, a clicking noise or a grinding sensation in the knee cap (ugh). Here’s how to prevent and fix it.

Problem

Pain behind and around the knee cap is common in runners: runner’s knee is also called patellofemoral pain syndrome. The patella is the knee cap and it should run smoothly over the lower femur (thigh bone). Sometimes the patella bumps against the femur and this causes pain. This is most likely to happen when the knee is bent so pain from runner’s knee is usually worse going downhill, downstairs and when squatting. A number of issues can cause runner’s knee including weak hips and quads and tight hips and hamstrings. All these muscle issues affect how the patella tracks over the femur. It’s usually resolvable with time and hard work.

Treatment

• Treatment depends on the cause – if possible, see a physiotherapist to identify it and get personalised exercises.

• Rest the knee initially.

• Avoid activities that aggravate the pain.

• Use ice and painkillers to help settle any pain.

• A supportive bandage, strapping or tape can help.

• Stretch and strengthen leg muscles, especially the quadriceps.

• Return to running gradually.

MADIA’S PREVENTION TIPS

✗ Avoid

• Overtraining.

• Deep squatting and long periods of kneeling as they can create tension in the iliotibial band (ITB).

• Long periods of sitting, which can tighten hip flexors at the front of the hip and weaken glutes at the back.