Four Common Running Injuries

Intuitively, running is a positive, healthy activity, but sometimes it causes negative consequences, particularly if you don’t practice correct technique or you exercise overzealously before your body is ready. The most common running injuries include runner’s knee, shin splints, stress fractures and Achilles tendinitis. These four common running injuries are a pain – literally – but they can, for the most part, be prevented and treated.

1. Shin splints

Many runners experience shin splints – technically medial tibial stress syndrome – at one time or another, usually when they first start running or rapidly intensify their training. Most experts agree resting the leg (a runner’s least favorite treatment) and then easing back into a running regiment most effectively heal shin splints, which refers to pain in muscles, tendons and bone tissue along the shinbone. Icing the shin, wearing a brace and avoiding hills can mitigate symptoms.

2. Runner’s knee

The layperson’s term for patellofemoral pain syndrome, runner’s knee causes discomfort and tenderness around the kneecap. Muscle imbalances, downhill running and especially the repetitive force from running on hard surfaces cause stress that produces this common ailment. Lower your mileage, run on softer surfaces and try wrapping your knee or using a brace.

3. Stress fractures

Running puts a lot of stress on your legs. Sometimes the intense strain of hitting pavement or dirt repeatedly and forcefully causes tiny fissures in your bones. You shouldn’t run through the pain; rest and physical therapy are the best treatments. To help prevent stress fractures, try cross-training to keep muscles, bones and tendons strong. And, of course, proper footwear is critical to avoid this, or any other, common running injury.

4. Achilles tendinitis

If you overdo your runs, don’t stretch pre- and post-workout or practice sloppy technique, it can cause painful inflammation around and in your Achilles, the tendon that connects your heel to your calf muscles. Avoid hills while you’re healing and when you get done, use the good ol’ rest, ice, compression and elevation (R.I.C.E.) therapy.

To learn more about these or other common running injuries, contact Southwest Foot & Ankle at 972-318-2738 in Lewisville, 972-805-9985 in Plano or 972-318-2655 for an appointment in Irving.