Injuries With Jogging/Running Injuries Associated

Injuries With Jogging/Running

Injuries Associated with Jogging/Running

Although running and jogging have a number of beneficial effects on health and fitness, the frequency of a running related injury is much higher than it should be.

With poor technique, inadequate training, and even improper footwear, runners can injure muscles, experience heel spurs, and develop stress fractures. With appropriate and adequate training, runners can usually steer clear of the most common injuries that can seriously lay them up for an extended amount of time.

Runners can also suffer more traumatic injuries -- broken bones, concussions, and even death -- as they run along roadways, or jog down sidewalks (Rodriguez).

Running or jogging are sports that many people have a great passion for. Why else would they afflict their bodies with such soreness and pain of common everyday injuries? Also it is a relatively easy activity to pick-up and inexpensive to participate in. Running injuries are too frequent and are unfortunate, but most injuries could be avoided.

There are four periods of time when runners are most vulnerable to injury: During the initial 4 to 6 months of running, upon returning to running after an injury, when the quantity (distance) of running is increased, and when the quality (speed) of running is increased (Matava).

Common injuries

A pulled hamstring is a common sports injury, seen most commonly in sprinters. Treatment of a pulled hamstring is important for a speedy recovery. Stress fractures of the hip are common in long distance runners and much more frequent in women than in men. Problems associated with the patella, or kneecap, also called runner's knee, are common in runners. The term runner's knee may refer to common injuries such as generalized knee pain and patellar tendonitis (Cluett).

Shin splint pain can be due to problems with the muscles, bone, or the attachment of the muscle to the bone. Ankle sprains are common injuries that runners experience. Early recognition and treatment of this problem will help speed your recovery from ankle ligament injuries (Cluett).

Plantar fasciitis is a syndrome of heel and arch pain that is common in runners with highly-arched feet because of elevated planter pressure loading. Neutral-cushioned running shoes are often recommended to manage and prevent such injuries (Wegener, Burns and Penkala).

Many runners and joggers can also experience problems with dehydration. In hot and humid climates the amount of fluids need to be significantly increased. Proper clothing in the summer and winter months is also important.

Another serious problem for runners and joggers is to know when you are training too much. You make a muscle stronger only by stressing that muscle, feeling sore on the next day, and taking days off until the soreness goes away. Every athlete knows that sometimes your muscles still feel a little sore several days after a hard workout. You may think that you have recovered from your previous hard workout and you think you are ready to stress your muscles again (Gabe).

If you push yourself without the proper rest your joints, muscles, and tendons will start aching. If you continue to push though the soreness you may find that the aches and soreness never leave and you may start feeling tired all the time.

Runners that plan hard workouts one to two times a week and rest or jog on the other days may find the recovery time to be faster. By doing this it will help your muscle form more fibrous tissue which helps reduce injuries.

Avoiding Associated Injuries

While avoiding injuries is straightforward, many athletes, runners and joggers included, fall short in proper preparation to avoid injuries. Even if a runner uses the correct preventive techniques in training, it doesn't guarantee that an injury won't still happen due to the nature of the sport. The first step to avoid injuries is to find the correct type of footwear. The nature of footwear can depend on the surface conditions i.e. trails, flat, or hilly surfaces, and type of feet/arch you have. Second and probably most important is the proper stretching routine and third should be developing a cross training program.