If you’ve recently picked up a running Injury, or if you’ve been suffering with an injury for a while - it can be very tempting to pass it off as “nothing serious” and simply “put up with it” carrying on as best you can. This can leave you feeling ‘stuck’ and wondering if you’ll ever be able to get back to enjoying that running ‘buzz’ again from your regular running sessions.

You’re not alone –

We are seeing more and more people going through this all the time. Why is this? Well, running is a very repetitive impact activity placing high loads on the muscles and joints in the legs It only takes small changes in your running routine (e.g increasing your distance or speed or introducing more hill training) to cause a significant running injury.

We see athletes of all levels, from recreational to professional, with every type of running injury there is. Not only do we know how to help recover from these injuries, but we can help you prevent them from happening agin.

So many people suffering with a running injury are asking themselves:

“It’s been several weeks now - why am I STILL suffering with an injury that’s stopping me from running painfree?”

Most people believe rest is the cure for all running injuries, and if they stop for a few days they’ll be able to get back running quickly. Unfortunately, most running injuries don’t work this way. Whilst relative rest is important to reduce the load causing pain, its not enough and often times people find themselves attempting to run again and pain is the same or worse than before. This cycle can get very repetitive if you don’t treat the injury properly.

Does That Sound Like You?

Usually when injury strikes and you’re in pain, the logical scenario is a visit to your doctors. Whilst your GP will be helpful for alleviating your sypmtoms with advice to rest ( or stop completely) or to take painkillers, this is a short term solution and won’t get rid of your problem completely – and it certainly won’t get you back out running. Most GP’s now would agree that running injuries in particular are more appropriately first seen by a Physiotherapist and will often (hopefully) refer on.

At Bodies Under Construction we believe ACTIVE RECOVERY REHABILIATION (ARR) is important, and complete rest is rarely the best advice. The term ‘rest’ can be difficult to grasp as it leads people into thinking it’s a time to do nothing or even get to the point of deafeat from their injury and give up because its not improving. ARR refers to relative rest, meaning we need to reduce the load causing your pain and injury, but at the same time rehabilitation is needed to treat the source of the problem.

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU ?

Running injuries happen gradually over time. Sometimes an injury starts with a niggle that comes and goes, and often times it goes unnoticed until it’s too late and every run becomes more painful.

The Running Injury Pathway – what is it?

Microtissue dysfunction (this can be in the muscles, fascia, bone or ligaments)- leads to “tightness” that can be caused by both your running but also lifestyle triggers e.g prolonged sitting at the desk.

When your Physiotherapist assesses you they will check for any movement restriction eg tightness in your hips or ankles or even in your lower back which could be contributing to your injury.

Here is the typical injury pathway that we see in clinic....

Why should I choose the Bodies Under Construction Running Injury and High Performance Clinic to treat my running injury?

We Have The Expertise to Help You Get Back to Running Using a Combination of:

Our initial rest advice:

Your training load should be reduced by 25-50% for at least 3 days – the length of this training reduction will vary depending on the type and severity of your injury. Alongside this your Physiotherapist will look at your training program to pinpoint any potential training errors such as, too much hill running or too much speed work that might also be contributing to your injury.

Hands on Treatment:

You will benefit from some immediate expert hands on treatment to ease your pain and release any soft tissue restriction contributing your injury. Your physio will also advise you on the key elements to help speed your recovery eg cross training (non impact exercise), mobility and strength exercises. In addition to this we may also consider other factors that could optimise your recovery such as your nutrition and other daily life routines.

Gait Analysis

The running injury Physiotherapy team here at Bodies Under Construction are highly trained in running Gait analysis and Gait Scan technology and as part of your treatment we aim to address any technique faults (biomechanical factors) that can also be a major underlying cause of your injury (100 percent does as it reduces inappropriate load). This is a crucial step that will help ensure you remain injury free in the long term. It is also our aim to improve your running performance so using the latest technology available so we can fine tune your technique to improve your “running robustness” and help you reach those PB's you are aiming for.

Remember our goals are your goals.

So when you first feel that niggle or tightness…don’t ignore it! Remember - If you immediately begin to get expert treatment and adjust your training when you feel that niggle….

YOU WILL BEAT IT!