Dealing with Running Injuries

Whenever you start a new fitness routine, you bring forth the chance you might get injured. Some aches and pains are a normal part of the program. You’re asking your body to do more than its ever done before. It’s going to complain and whine.

When you do find yourself feeling more than normal pain, you need to ask yourself two questions:

1. Is this effort pain?
1. If the answer is yes, slow down a bit perhaps and keep on running.
2. Is this injury pain?
1. If the answer is yes, slow down to a walk and see if the pain subsides. Stop and stretch.
2. If the pain does not subside, you’re done running for the day!

How can you tell the difference? Effort pain goes away when you slow down or stop. All you might need for effort pain is a stop and a stretch. Injury pain continues even if you slow down. If you touch the area that was hurting on the run it might be tender to the touch.

What about the pain AFTER I stop running? That must be bad, right?

Not necessarily. As a new runner, or if you’re increasing your mileage, you’re asking your muscles to work harder than you’ve asked them in awhile. You may run a long run and feel just fine the day after, but find two days down the road you’re walking stiff legged and cursing the day you started running. This is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and means your muscles are experiencing two things:

1) Inflammatory response: As muscles repair they will become inflamed as the body rushes to repair the damage. The inflammation can cause stiffness and some pain.

2) Getting stronger: In response to your exercise your muscles will breakdown and rebuild. It is this process that makes them stronger. Think of it like putting a patch on a crack. It makes you stronger and more toned. As this happens, you will feel a little bit of soreness.

It used to be believed that this pain was due to lactate buildup in the muscles, but the body actually “flushes” the lactate within an hour of finishing exercise. It’s just a natural part of getting stronger and more fit!

A running injury does not have to be the end of your running career! Most running injuries respond well to the "R.I.C.E." treatment: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. R.I.C.E. treatment can relieve pain, reduce swelling, and protect the injury from further aggravation. It should be followed for 24 to 48 hours following the initial injury.

Here's How:

1. Rest is often the easiest and most effective treatment for common running injuries. Take a couple of days off from running -- it may be all you need to heal your injury.
2. Ice the trouble spot with an ice pack or a bag of frozen veggies (I prefer peas) for 20 minutes, every 4 to 6 hours. Try to ice the affected area as soon as possible once you feel pain, and immediately after a run if you are running with an injury. Heat should only be applied to an injury after the inflammation is gone, usually after about 72 hours. If your swelling has gone down significantly but there's still some inflammation, try alternating heat and ice after a few days of ice-only treatment.
3. Compression limits swelling and can provide minor pain relief. You can wrap the affected area with an Ace bandage, but don't make it too tight. If you feel throbbing or excessive pressure, loosen the bandage.
4. Elevate the injured body part -- try to get it higher than your heart, if possible. In most cases, you can do this by lying down and propping the injury up on pillows.

Some sports physicians are now suggesting MICE instead of RICE. Rest can often lead to tightening of the muscles that can make the injury even worse, so many are suggesting movement, ice, compression, and elevation. Movement should be gentle in the form of stretching, flexing, and if it doesn’t hurt, walking.

If you find yourself dealing with a lot of injuries, or more than just transient pains, you need to make sure you have the proper running shoes. Running shoes should correct any gait problems you have, but not over-correct. Over or under correction can…no WILL…result in running injuries! Many a new runner has gone to their favorite outlet store, picked out a snazzy pair of shoes based on the color or brand name, and ended up in a lot of pain! Just like your mother used to dress you as a child, let your running shoe store professional shoe you as a runner. He or she will analyze your gait and choose the right shoe for you.

So you’ve got new shoes and it still hurts! When do you go to the doctor?

1. If the pain is so severe it hurts well after you stop.
2. If you’re running and the pain is sudden and extremely sharp.
3. If you have RICEd, ICEd, stretched, and picked up new shoes and it gets slowly worse.
4. If you’re just feeling uncomfortable about the pain.

The best way to avoid getting injured is to wear proper shoes, warm up with a good 5 minutes of dynamic stretching, pay attention to proper form, and stretch well after each run.

Injuries are a part of almost every runner’s life at some point, but it doesn’t have to sideline you! Precaution, prevention, and treatment can get you back running and keep you running for a lifetime!