Savvy Tips & Helpful Hints

Running Injuries to Look Out For

Whether you’re a running aficionado or just starting your running journey as a satisfying way to stay in shape, you need to be informed about injuries that can interrupt your progress. Running places specific strains on the body parts that lie beneath your waist, as your legs, feet and hips are carrying the vast majority of your body’s weight. Most injuries occur if you’re running too long, too quick or even too often, and if you’re a beginner, you’re especially prone. As a runner, you need to be in tune with your body, as responding quickly to any pain you feel can save you a lot of damage in the long run. Here are some things about injuries that you need to remember if you’re a runner.

Trauma

Traumas, in terms of injuries, are those that are caused by a specific accident or event. An example of this is twisting an ankle due to a bad trip. Traumas are difficult to predict and prepare for, because they typically occur due to an accident, which is unforeseen by definition. However, paying special attention to your environment can reduce your chances of experiencing trauma. Paying special attention on a wet day as well as using high-quality trainers can reduce your risk of sudden accident. Some injuries are caused by movements that your body is not prepared for, causing a pulled muscle. These traumas can be avoided by warming up properly and stretching before any run you go on.

Overuse

Injuries caused by overusing your body are especially likely when conducting repetitive movements. Scientifically, these are a build-up of tiny traumas that occur whenever you run, and when you run too much and push yourself too hard, these can build up and cause a larger injury – an overuse injury. These are the injuries that are famous for stopping runners from enjoying the exercise they love. If you’ve experienced what you believe is an overuse injury, stop running and see a podiatrist immediately. It is important you see a local expert, such as the specialist Foot Doctor in Gilbert. The difficult to diagnose, Achilles tendon problems are almost always from overuse, but there are two classifications of overuse injury causes that can lead to such serious pains:

1)Extrinsic Causes

These are external pressures that can specifically enhance the frequency or size of micro-traumas that you experience. Improper, worn-out footwear can put additional pressure on your body as well as running repeatedly on hard roads or roads with a continuous and maintained slope.

2)Intrinsic Causes

Intrinsic causes are related to your build and don’t typically cause injuries alone but elongate the time it takes for a trauma to heal or make you more susceptible to injury. These include problems like inflexibility, muscle imbalance, or even having one leg shorter than the other.

Typically, serious running injuries happen because of a mixture of both extrinsic and intrinsic causes. It is important to give your body time to rest and to make sure your body can keep you running for as long as your mind wants to.

2 Comments

  • Nyxie

    I definitely suffered from overuse and intrinsic factors when I was running. I wasn’t drinking or eating enough to allow me to heal, therefore I always used to get injured. Very informative article.