Four Common Injuries caused by Running

As a runner, there is no doubt that your personal health and wellness sits high on your priority list. Running is known to benefit the mind and body in all kinds of ways, such as helping to relieve stress, helping you to feel happier (it has antidepressant-like effects), it helps you to build muscle and tone your body, it helps to keep your joints and bones strong, it will help you lose and then maintain a healthy body weight, it can reduce your risk of developing cancer, and studies have shown it can add to your lifespan.

For all its incredible health benefits, there can be some negatives too and unfortunately, those can include running-related injuries. Being aware of what the common injuries are can help you to stay safe and use caution so that you don’t end up suffering from one. So let’s take a look at the four most common running injuries.

Runner’s Knee

Even though this is called “runner’s knee”, any athlete can develop it, it’s just more common among runners. Typically you’ll start to feel pain or discomfort on the inside or outside of the knee when you start running, but then it goes away. It will flare up after you finish your run or when you are sitting for long periods of time.

Hamstring Injury

Hamstring injuries are another common complaint amongst runners, and unfortunately, these can be very slow to heal. This type of injury will affect a person’s strength and flexibility, resulting in tightness and constant pain or aching.

Shin Splints

If you are noticing that your shins hurt and ache while you are running, there is a good chance you are suffering from shin splints. The pain is actually caused by tears that occur along the shinbone and can get worse over time, causing even more pain and tightness.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is described as small tears and then inflammation in your ligaments and tendons that are found in the foot. This is typically most noticeable first thing in the morning, or the start of a run. It can range in severity and become constant over time.

When In Doubt – See a Doctor

If you sustain any of these injuries, or another type of injury while running, and have any doubts about how you feel, your best course of action/treatment, and don’t want to risk further injury, it’s best to see a doctor right away. Make sure you go over all your symptoms and the actions that lead to the injury.

Of course, you need to also use your own judgement and be sure you feel confident in your diagnosis. While rare, medical negligence can happen from time to time, so as The Medical Negligence Experts recommend, it’s wise to be an informed and active patient, and ask questions when something doesn’t seem right to you.

Many Other Injuries Can Occur

This is just the most common injuries but keep in mind others can occur as well, even as severe as a stress fracture. It is recommended that runners always stretch and warm-up before a run, wear well-fitted supportive shoes, and listen to their body.