Running injuries involve the lumbo-pelvic region and lower limb. In the absence of direct trauma they are a result of faulty movement patterns, abnormal lower limb bio-mechanics, muscle imbalances and muscle dysfunction or a combination of these.

These deficits can cause increased bio-mechanical forces through joints, repetitive excessive soft tissue loading causing abnormal stress and micro trauma to the specific area of the musculoskeletal chain. Often muscles, ligaments and tendons or the muscle-tendon bone-tendon interface.

This repeated micro trauma to the internal architecture of the tissue progresses to macro trauma and injury, resulting in pain, inflammation and dysfunction.

Runners often have a grumbling niggle in their achilles knee or hip for several months and in some cases years before they seek advice. Running injuries affect a variety of anatomical structures often involving the achilles tendon, plantar fascia, posterior tibial tendon, shin splints, calf muscles, knee & knee cap, Ilio-tibial band, hip and lower back.

They often present during or after running sometimes in the early part of the run and eases away, a change in running surface can affect symptoms running on grass instead of the road. Achilles tendon & Plantar fascia problems are associated with morning stiffness and pain that eases with walking. Our dynamic ultrasound scanning facility enables in-depth architectural assessment of tendons, ligaments and muscles.

The isolated painful tissue (i.e. anterior knee pain) is often not a pure isolated injury but the result of a combination of a faulty movement pattern, abnormal lower limb bio-mechanics, muscle imbalances and dysfunction that manifests a local soft tissue problem. The root cause of the injury often lies elsewhere in the musculoskeletal chain.

Examples:

• Reduced hip extension movement increases lumbar spine biomechanical forces causing facet joint overload, increased disc shear and sacroiliac dysfunction and back pain.
• Poor rotation control of the hip can lead to hip pain, tendinopathy, Illiotibial band syndrome and anterior knee pain.
• Abnormal foot bio-mechanics such as overpronation can cause abnormal stress to the achilles tendon, plantar fascia, shin pain, knee and hip pain.
• These are a few examples of running injury and the underlying musculoskeletal causes for such problems.

Don't let your niggle become a problem that stops you in your tracks! Contact us to arrange a consultation, call 01943 816836