Marathon runners push the body’s limit to increase their exercise capacity. But they shouldn’t ignore the vital signs of injury and learn to differentiate a serious injury from a minor one.
This article is an attempt to make the runners aware of the general thumb rules about running related injuries.
Distance running is demanding and inherently uncomfortable. As a runner, each new goal means muscle soreness and pushing the body to handle more stress. There are times when it is difficult yet important for runners to understand when they should keep pushing and when it’s time to back off.
It’s OK to run through soreness, but pain is a different story. Find out how to tell the difference between those twinges in your muscles and when you absolutely need to take some time off.
What pain is ok while running?
The body cannot improve without stress. Know your body is within its acceptable limit when the pain qualifies in one of the following:
- It is overall general muscle soreness
- There is slight joint discomfort after workout or next day that goes away in 24 hours
- There is slight stiffness at the beginning of run or walk that goes away after first 10-15 minutes
Don’t fear — this type of soreness is not a bad sign.
“DOMS is required for muscle development, that’s how you build up strength and endurance.” says Dr Pooja Sapte, MPT, a qualified musculoskeletal expert in muscle and movement at ReLiva Physiotherapy in Mumbai.
What pain is not okay for running?
It is an absolute must to stop and pay attention if your pain qualifies for one of the following:
- Pain that is keeping you awake at night
- Pain that is evident at beginning of run/walk then becomes worse as run continues
- Pain that changes your stride or style of running
- Pain is beyond your usual tolerance level
Running should not hurt. It could be an indication of inflammation or sign of one of the common running injuries. Dr Anuradha Mandlekar (MPT), Clinical head at ReLiva Physiotherapy & Rehab tells, “Stop immediately – You should not train till you have your pain attended to!” She recommends a set of guidelines for treatment & self care for running injuries to recover faster and effectively.
Tips to keep you running?
Here is a simple infographic on running injuries and how to prevent them as suggested in sports physiotherapy. These tips would keep you running injury free
What are warning signs of injury?
Watch out for these 4 tell-tale symptoms, if you are on your way to an injury :
- Pain and tenderness – We need not worry about pain that begins during a run and subsides as quickly as it started. However, if the pain continues or gets worse when you are running or after a run, and / or if you notice a limp or if there is pain on any routine activities, you might be suffering from an injury.
- Swelling – After a run, some amount of muscle soreness is expected. However, in the area of pain if you also notice swelling, there is some inflammation and it is a warning sign of an injury.
- Redness or colour change and increased skin temperature – This indicates inflammation and is a sign of injury. Needs to be checked immediately.
- Movement abnormality – If you notice that you are changing your pattern of running involuntarily or if your joint is not moving as freely as it normally would, it indicates an injury. Running through this cannot only make your injury worse but pushing through this can also bring on new injuries in other areas.
So many runners think they can run through pain and it will eventually subside. However this is rarely the case. More often continuing your training turns what was originally a minor injury into something major.
How do you tell if you are overtraining running?
Your body will clearly experience one or more of these warning signs if you are overtraining:
- Difficulty performing typical workouts for more than a week
- Excessive fatigue
- Higher resting heart rate
- Decreased appetite
- Sorer muscles
- Troubled sleep
- Irritability
- Increased perspiration
- Decreased desire to train
Whether you happened to injure yourself by accident or by overtraining, do not lose heart. If you reach out to a trained physiotherapist soon enough after the injury, chances are that you can recover much faster and get back to your training than if you just sit back and wait for it to heal itself.
These guidelines should not take the place of medical advice if attempting to return to sports following an injury. If an athlete requires assistance during or in the progression of a return to sport program they should consult with their medical expert, or physiotherapist.
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Related Reading:
5 Tips to Prepare for an Injury-free Run
Preparing for Marathon without Injuries
7 Common Gym Injuries And How To Prevent Them
Zumba: Tips to prevent injuries
7 Ways to keep your kids active : Physical Activity for Children
This article is based on the inputs from Dr. Carol Johnson (PT) of ReLiva Physiotherapy & Rehab
Dr Carol is a Masters in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy. She is very popular among her patients for her positive demeanor and effective treatment.
