Management of running injuries provide a large percentage of our workload at the practice all year round. We also spend time improving performance , and assisting in recovery, maintenance and surveillance of the runner as they progress through training programmes.
Injuries tend to be to the lower limbs and are mainly due to overuse. Or put another way , the runner does not cope with the load that the body is put under, frequently seen when suddenly increasing or changing a variable in training. Alternatively this happens when a part of the kinetic chain is not contributing enough to the overall work , leading to a breakdown in the parts which are compensating for this. Examples of this could be a stiff foot reducing the energy absorption and placing more stress on the achilles tendon, or a stiff foot reducing the energy distribution from the calf muscle and increasing the loads around the knee.
Common conditions are lateral hip pain, knee pain, shin splints, achilles tendon and plantar fascia problems. Identification of why one of these structures is breaking down is vital for effective treatment, as you could have the same mechanical problem as someone else but the tissue breaking down could be anywhere within this chain, or indeed on the other side completely.
We specialise in challenging and persisting injuries and between the Physio and sports masseur we look forward to helping you get back on track.
