Running for good health or competition might seem like a simple activity, but up to 50 % of all runners can get some type of injury each year. This injury might be relatively minor and they run through the injury until it gets better or it could be significant enough for them to have to cease running. The most frequent cause of these running injuries is that the runner merely over did it. They ran too much before the body is given time to adapt or get used to the distances being run. Every time that a load is applied to the runner it is essential to give it a rest before applying another load by going for another run. If too much load is applied before recovery from a earlier workout, any damage get amplified and this could progress into an injury. Rest is equally as essential as the training runs and that is how fitness and strength is increased and is also how injury is averted.
In addition to the too much too soon situation, biomechanics also has a role. This is the way that we run and different athletes do it differently. Different running techniques can load different tissues in a different way and affect some tissues too much, so that when running that may be enough to result in an overuse injury. For example, disorders like medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints) can occur when the width between the foot placement when running is too narrow. Those with this problem could benefit from running with a wider base of gait. Another frequent biomechanical problem in runners can be tight calf muscles. When running this makes the mid-foot (arch) of the foot to collapse or overpronate and may result in a a range of conditions like heel pain to runners knee. These people will benefit the most from a calf muscle stretching rehab plan. The management of a running injury is dependent upon the cause and really should be directed at that cause, whether its biomechanics to training load concerns. A good Podiatrist can always help with these types of injury.