Running

Most injuries during running are overuse injuries caused as a result of repeatedly pushing off with and landing on the feet as a result of which ankles, knees, hips and the back can suffer extreme loads. Body parts that can be severely overloaded during running are the shins, the Achilles tendons and the ankles.

Shin splints
With a case of shin splints, the pain occurs on the inside of the shin. The cause if often the sum of various factors such as running on too hard a surface, incorrect footwear and/or insufficient recovery time between two training sessions.

Ankle
A commonly occurring injury during running is a sprained or twisted ankle. In most cases, the injury occurs following a landing on the outside of the foot, whereby the sole of the foot twists too far inwards. On the outside of the foot, capsula, ligaments and nerve fibre can be damaged due to overstretching. On the inside, cartilage can be damaged by excessive compression.

Depending on the seriousness of the injury, the tissue on the outside is either stretched or torn. This damage causes bleeding in the ankle. As a result, the ankle swells, (after a short time) bruises and becomes painful.

The damaged tissue heals naturally just like a wound on the skin. However, muscle and nerve fibre does not automatically regain its original function. Muscle and nerve fibre must be trained. This is possible with simple balance exercises. In addition, the ankle must be protected to prevent the risk of recurrence. A Push Sports Ankle Brace is an excellent solution.
Good running shoes with a solid heel section can reduce the risk of sprained ankles.

Knee
The most commonly occurring knee injury during running is irritation of the joint ligament behind the kneecap. This is an often difficult to localise pain perceived around and behind the kneecap. The pain above all occurs during or after running. During bending and stretching, the knees may ‘crack and creak’ and sometimes swell up following major exertion (running!).
A diagnosis can be made by a sport physiotherapist and/or sport physician. Depending on the diagnosis, the correct measures can be taken. Possibilities include good shoes, muscle-strengthening exercises, stretching exercises and sufficient recovery time or wearing a Push Sports Patella Brace or a Push Sports Knee Brace.