From jogging around the neighborhood to running marathons, running is one of the most popular ways to engage in regular fitness. Running has countless benefits, like improving cardiovascular health, strengthening muscles, and staying in shape. While running has incredible benefits for the whole body, it is possible to sustain a running injury. Many people who experience a running injury do so because of the repeated stress on specific parts of the body. If you suffer an injury while running, then visit a local orthopedic surgeon in Conyers to learn about these common injuries and what treatment options are available so you can get back to it!
7 Most Common Running Injuries
As you might expect, most running injuries affect the legs, knees, and feet. Here are seven examples of the most common running injuries and what those might feel like:
Shin Splints
The more common name for tibial stress syndrome is shin splints. If you have pain along the front and inside of your lower legs, or your shin bones, then you may have developed shin splints. This type of injury can occur due to hitting the pavement on hard surfaces or increasing the amount of running you do too quickly. You might experience a dull aching pain along the front or inside of your shin bone that is tender to the touch. For some people, that pain gets worse when you run or exercise.
Runner’s Knee
Another common name for a running injury called patellofemoral syndrome is known as runner’s knee. This type of injury causes pain in and around the kneecap, generally due to overuse of the knee joints with activities like running and jumping. You might be surprised to learn that weakness in your hips can also contribute to runner’s knee. Runner’s knee can feel like a dull pain in your knee that may get worse after you’ve been sitting or standing for long periods of time. You may also experience more pain when you are walking up and downstairs, squatting, and jumping.
Ankle Sprain
There are ligaments that connect your leg and ankle that stretch with your everyday movements. An ankle sprain occurs more often as an acute injury, like if you were to roll your ankle over. This type of running injury is more of an acute injury that occurs due to a specific incident. You may experience pain, swelling, and bruising around the ankle. You may also notice pain when trying to rotate your ankle and experience a limited range of motion.
Achilles Tendinitis
Another running injury that can affect tendons in the body is Achilles tendinitis. The Achilles tendon connects your calf muscle to the heel of your foot and helps you to walk, run, and jump. Tendinitis is a condition where inflammation disrupts the healthy functioning of a tendon. Achilles tendinitis can cause inflammation and swelling along the back of your leg and foot. You may also notice you are unable to flex your foot without significant pain and discomfort.
IT Band Syndrome
The IT band refers to the iliotibial band that connects your outer hip and knee together. This connective tissue helps provide stability for your knee, especially when you are walking and running. This type of running injury is typically caused by repetitive friction on this connective tissue, leading to sharp pain, tenderness, and difficulty with certain movements.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a foot injury that some runners deal with that causes pain under your heel and on the bottom of your foot. You may also experience a burning sensation and pain that is worse after you have been on your feet for long periods of time. The fascia is a soft tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot and helps to absorb the shock and stress as you move around. Changing your running habits too quickly can lead to this type of running injury.
Stress Fractures
A stress fracture is a type of broken bone that doesn’t require a brightly colored cast. Instead, this type of fracture refers to a hairline crack along the bone that typically occurs with repetitive stress on the area. Many runners experience stress fractures in the feet and lower legs.<
Visit an orthopedic surgeon in Conyers to learn more about treatment options for your running injury at AICA Orthopedics.