Injured?
Running related injuries are the number 1 reason that people stop running; makes sense really? If you’ve just started running or even if you are a seasoned pro and you are bogged down with repeated injuries that are painful and frustrating, why would you want to continue with this infuriating pastime.
There are things that you can do to help prevent injury and strategies that you can put in place to help with the healing process; it takes time and some patience. However, I would always advise that you seek professional medical advice if your pain is severe or becomes chronic.
Injuries can be confusing, they are subjective as pain is hard to describe and some people will have different thresholds of pain. Throw into the mix that everyone else will have an opinion on what has caused your injury or even diagnose what is wrong with you because it happened to them/their friend/their friend’s sister/their friend’s sister’s dentist……
Let’s start at the beginning
What is a Sprain?
Sprains are a stretch and/or tear of a ligament, the tissue connecting 2 bones. Ligaments stabilize and support the body’s joints. A sprain is caused by an injury that stresses a joint and overstretches or even ruptures supporting ligaments. This can happen from a fall or a twist
In a mild sprain, a ligament is stretched, but the joint remains stable and is not loosened. A moderate sprain partially tears the ligament, causing the joint to be unstable. With a severe sprain, ligaments tear completely or separate from the bone. This loosening interferes with how the joint functions. You may feel a tear or pop in the joint. Although the intensity varies, all sprains commonly cause pain, swelling, bruising, and inflammation.
The ankle is the most sprained joint; and a sprained ankle is more likely if you've had a previous sprain there. Repeated sprains can lead to ankle arthritis, a loose ankle or tendon injury
What is a Strain?
Strains are a twist, pull and/or tear of a muscle and/or tendon. Tendons are cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones.
Acute strains are caused by stretching or pulling a muscle or tendon. Chronic strains are the result of overuse of muscles and tendons, through prolonged, repetitive movement or not getting enough rest during intense training.
Typical symptoms of strain include:
Pain
Muscle spasm
Muscle weakness
Swelling
Inflammation
Cramping
What to do
When you first feel a tear or a pop the most common-sense thing to do is stop what you are doing (would you be surprised to learn that a lot of people don’t?); if you continue running, you may make your injury worse and may increase your recovery time and turn a little problem into a big one.
Severe bleeding, obvious deformity in the bone or joint, or significant swelling and pain are signs of serious problems. Even injuries that feel like muscle pulls, strains, and sprains can turn out to be breaks (fractures) or tendon tears. That’s why it’s best to get a diagnosis from a qualified healthcare provider.
For minor injuries it is recommend that you RICE
Rest – pain is your body’s way of telling you to rest an injured area. However, light exercise can help you heal more quickly as exercise keeps your muscles flexible and your joints moving smoothly.
Ice – is a great pain reliever, it numbs the injured area and reduces swelling. Put the ice pack on the injured area for 20 minutes and then remove it for 20 minutes. Repeat this cycle every 20 minutes for up to 3 hours. If that’s too uncomfortable, leave it on for 20 minutes once every hour. Continue as often as you feel comfortable over the next day or so. Don’t leave the ice on for more than 20 minutes at a time.
Compression – putting pressure on an injury helps prevent swelling and gives support.
Elevation – Keeping an injury raised helps reduce swelling.
Doing these things can help limit pain and swelling after an injury and helps injuries heal faster so you can ease back into training, slowly and steadily.
It’s important to remember that one size doesn’t fit all though, we are all unique and sometimes finding the answer to what or why an injury occured can be very difficult, there are many factors including hormones, diet, stress, trainers, socks, training, speed, honestly the list goes on.
I always like to start with the basics, have you done anything different lately ie did you go dancing at the weekend, have you started a new hobby or started cross training? Are you tired? Are you eating enough? When was the last time you had a sports massage or new trainers? Have you added speed training into your week or increased the miles?
I do understand that being injured really sucks, but hang in there, even if it feels like forever, think about your long term goals and what you’d like to get out of running in your lifetime.