Most runners will face an injury eventually.
Three out of every four regular runners will experience an injury at some point in their running career. The good news is that many of these injuries can be prevented. Patellofemoral pain, better known as runner's knee, is the most frequent, with shin splints and stress fractures also common among runners.
Runner's knee comes from the kneecap tracking off course.
The knee is a hinge between your thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia), surrounded by four ligaments, two semicircular pads called menisci, and flexible tendons connecting muscle to bone. The patella, or kneecap, sits at the front of the knee and slides up and down inside a groove on the femur as you walk. Pain can occur when the patella is misaligned or not tracking correctly, causing it to rub against nearby bone and soft tissue.
Overuse or training too hard, especially without enough recovery time, can lead to runner's knee. A structured schedule with short- and long-term goals helps protect your joints and keep them in top condition. If you're dealing with knee pain, it's worth having it evaluated by a physical therapist.
Iliotibial band syndrome is the most common running injury overall.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome, or ITBS, is the single most common injury among runners. It causes pain on the outside of the knee that can radiate up the thigh, likely caused by the repetitive bending and stretching of the leg that irritates the iliotibial band, a band of tissue running along the outside of the leg from the hip to the shinbone. As the knee flexes and extends during running or walking long distances, this band shifts over the outer edge of the thighbone, which can irritate the surrounding tissue and lead to pain and swelling.
Other contributing factors include excessive foot pronation, weak hip abductor muscles, and internal tibial torsion, all of which can irritate the IT band and lead to inflammation and pain. If you're experiencing foot or ankle pain, it's worth seeking help from a specialist.
Ankle sprains are common, and treatable with the right steps.
An ankle sprain is one of the most frequent injuries runners experience, happening when the ankle twists or rolls inward (eversion sprain) or outward (inversion sprain). Treatment typically follows RICE: rest, ice, compression, and elevation, sometimes alongside nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and swelling. After a few days of healing, once swelling has subsided, rehabilitation exercises for range of motion, strengthening, and balance can begin under a doctor's or physical therapist's guidance.
Runners prone to ankle sprains should wear stable shoes and tape any weak areas for extra support. If a sprain is severe, or seems to involve more than what's visible, it's worth a more thorough evaluation.
Muscle strains range from mild to more serious.
A muscle strain, or tear, is another frequent injury among runners, occurring when muscles are overstretched and microscopic tears develop within the fibers. Strains range in intensity from mild to severe and can cause discomfort, swelling, or bruising. Most improve with RICE therapy. Grade 1 (mild) strains involve only a limited number of muscle fibers and usually cause no pain until after the activity that caused them is finished. Grade 2 (moderate) strains involve more fibers and can cause immediate discomfort, sometimes requiring medication, physical therapy, and stretching to fully heal and repair.
If you're dealing with a running injury, our team at Tribeca Physical Therapy can help you get an accurate diagnosis and a plan to recover.