Contrary to popular belief, running does not have to result in injury.
Running, at any age or stage can be a great, safe, economical and quick way to get active. From the complete beginner through to the elite athlete, knee pain is a common complaint seen here at the BPC. Running injuries include patellofemoral pain, hamstring tendinopathy, patellar tendinopathy and iliotibial band syndrome. These may sound like scary diagnoses, but rest assured they are all treatable and preventable.
Prevention is always easier, more economical and faster than the rehabilitation of an injury, so it is worth investing in.
Two ways which you could prevent a knee injury from running include improving your body awareness and building strength surrounding the knee joint, including the hip, ankle and core. Improving your body awareness trains the body to detect when a little niggle or change in style may be something worth further investigating and correcting.
Strengthening of the gluteal, quadricep and calf muscles is also another way to prevent injury and reduce pain. The force going through the body from the feet, when strong, is more evenly spread, therefore less likely to fatigue and get injured.
If you are thinking about putting those sneakers on for the first time in a while, take it slowly, think about adding some body awareness and strength training into the mix or better still seek the advice of a Physiotherapist to help you get started.
Have you started training recently and are concerned that your knee niggle is getting worse?
Do you put your knee pain down to arthritis? Suffering from pain after you complete a run? Do you have pain walking downstairs? Problems getting on or off the toilet? If you answered yes to any of these questions; come and see one of the Physiotherapists’ at the Body Performance Clinic. They will work alongside you to safely guide and progress you back to running again.
Acute knee injuries:
Meniscus tear
MCL sprain
ACL sprain
PCL sprain
Patellar dislocation
Too much too soon?
Bodies adapt but sometimes not as quickly as we would like them to. Gradual exposure to running is important; especially when starting out as a beginner. Injury occurs when too much load has been applied to a body part, too soon.
Listen to those niggles and if those niggles start to pester you more and more or they cannot be stretched out. Come and see one of team at the Body Performance Clinic, we see a wide range of knee pain.
