RUNNING: MAIN INJURIES

In recent years, running has increased its popularity in our society, breaking records of participation in various popular races. In each of our cities we can observe a large number of “runners” alone or in groups trying to improve their brands or simply enjoying the sport.

Most runners have suffered an injury throughout their lives, covering problems from the foot to the cervical level. In this article we will analyze the most common injuries in runners and how to prevent or treat them.

The body gives us warning signs, the following phrases will sound: "Uff, how loaded I am", "today it was difficult for me to get in bed", "I have noticed a pull on the leg"

Physiotherapy can help us not to say these phrases or, if it is too late, to prevent further injury. Listen to your body and consult your physiotherapist with any questions and do not hesitate to call us for any questions.

The most common injuries are: plantar fasciitis, iliotibial girdle, tibial periostitis, tedinopathies, sprains and muscle tears.

- Plantar fasciitis: the plantar fascia is defined as a fibrous and elastic tissue, which covers most of the sole of the foot, and that originates in the calcaneus bone (heel bone), until it is inserted into the base of the metatarsals (fingers) It is responsible for stabilizing and supporting the entire foot assembly; joints and plantar arch.

    There are several causes or risk factors for which it can occur are: the increase in physical or sports load, or sudden change in it; plantar arch alteration, whether increased or decreased (cavus or flatfoot); tension or retraction of the Achilles tendon; inappropriate footwear; Obesity or sudden weight gain.

- Iliotibial waist: it is an inflammation that occurs in the lateral or external area of ​​the knee, caused by the friction caused between the lateral condyle of the femur and the iliotibial waistband. It is usually a very typical pain in runners, due to bad biomechanics of the race when the muscles are fatigued. The main problem is the failure of the gluteus medius in monopodial support causing the knee to go further in each step and the friction described above occurs.

- Shin Splints: pain located along the two distal thirds of the posterior medial tibia during exercise, with pain in the palpation of the tibia. It is caused by overloading of the tibial bone cortex, resulting in an inflammation of the membrane that covers the bone.

       The risk factors by which it can occur are: increase in body mass; non-progressive increase in training; flat foot, a bad biomechanics of tread produces adaptations of other areas of the body and can affect the tibia; lack of range of motion in the ankle; lack of range of movement in the hip: the lack of strength in the gluteus medius triggers a valgus knee and, as a consequence, an incorrect tread; run on hard surfaces.

- Tendinopathies: Tendonitis is a very frequent pathology, which usually appears after excessive efforts, repetitive movements and direct trauma. It consists of the inflammation of the tendons, which are resistant strings of tissue that link the muscles with the bones and help the muscles move the bones.

Avoid repetitive movements and overload, keep the muscles strong and flexible, exercise the upper and lower extremities, without excessively repeating the same movement, alternating different types of movements, with small recovery intervals. Good hydration is also recommended, as it always helps to maintain a better vascularization of the area.

- Sprains: it is an elongation or rupture of the ligaments that slow the inversion of the foot. We must perform balance or proprioception exercises to improve the position of the ankle at the nervous system level and strengthen the muscles that are responsible for maintaining a correct positioning of the foot.

- Muscle tears: it is the separation or lack of congruence of muscle fibers. Whether you are a sports person or if you are more sedentary, a key aspect is to keep the body hydrated. If any sporting activity is carried out, it is essential to perform a good warm-up prior to it, because that way we can prepare the muscles for the activity, so that they can react quickly and correctly.

In addition, resting times are essential. If we do not rest properly between workouts we will have fatigued muscles, so that they will be unable to adapt effectively to the activity to which we are subjected. It is very important to let the muscle recover. In the case of runners, muscle overload can lead to muscle breakage due to changes in pace or high running intensities. That is why it is very important to treat the affected muscles to prevent it from going further. The body is warning us and we must listen.