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How to Prevent the Most Common Running Injuries

  • Posted by Covent Garden Physio
  • On 20th March 2019
  • 0 Comments
  • running, Running Injuries

Running is a fantastic way to keep fit. It’s what our bodies evolved to do best and a well-paced running programme has tremendous benefits for your health and fitness – not to mention the personal satisfaction in beating your personal best distance or time.

With London’s parks packed with new runners or people training for the next marathon, now is the ideal time to talk about the running injuries we treat at CGP and the steps you can take to reduce your risk.

 

What are the most common running injuries?

As you would expect, running injuries typically occur in the lower limbs – unless you suffer a particularly dramatic fall.

We can broadly separate running injuries into those which occur suddenly, such as a sprained ankle, and those which develop gradually, such as patellafemoral pain syndrome – which Anthony covered in last month’s blog on knee pain.

Running injuries usually occur in the ankles and the knees, as these are the points in the legs which absorb the most force, contain the most complex structures and are most vulnerable to trauma following sudden changes in direction.

For example, tendinitis in the ankle often develops in people who run in poor footwear, as the lack of support causes the tendons in the ankle joint to be overwhelmed for the forces sustained during running.

Knee injuries, on the other hand, often develop because the muscles elsewhere in the legs and hips aren’t strong enough, resulting in a lack of stability that can cause the knee to twist in ways that it is not supposed to.

Acute injuries and chronic injuries are also often related. An untreated acute injury can lead to imbalances and weaknesses which develop into chronic injuries, while untreated chronic injuries can increase your vulnerability to acute injuries.

This means that while we can say that ankle sprains and knee pain are amongst the most common running injuries, each must be treated on a case by case basis as there can be many overlapping causes, from your general fitness and injury history to your footwear and running surface.

 

Why is overloading so common in running?

Many of the overloading injuries I treat occur when people are starting running for the first time or are resuming after a long break.

This time of year is something of a running injury high season, as the improving weather and longer days sees people starting running or resuming programmes that they dropped over winter.

What these people then discover – and enjoy – is very rapid progress in how far and how hard they can run, sometimes doubling their distance every week.

But what they don’t realise until too late is that different parts of the body repair at different rates. Your muscles and cardiovascular system adapt quite quickly to new loads, while your tendons take much longer.

The gains in muscle strength and cardiovascular capacity allow you to run further and further at an impressive rate but, meanwhile, your tendons are struggling to keep up and can eventually give in.

Progress then grinds to a painful halt as you need to take weeks off running for rehabilitation.

So, if you’ve started running or are taking it on after a long break, resist the temptation to overload yourself and follow a very gradual and sustainable programme.

 

What else can I do to support my running?

Now that you know what not to do, here’s a few things that you should.

First of all: rest days. This doesn’t mean days of no exercise at all, just a break from running so that your body has time to repair. If you’re still sore from your last run, wait another day. Be patient: the amount you have to rest will reduce over time.

Rest days don’t mean doing nothing, either. If you want to keep building your cardiovascular capacity, you can cycle or swim on rest days as these don’t stress the same areas of your body that running does.

To give your body extra support to adapt to your new running programme, it’s recommended that you also work your strength and flexibility.

After running and on your rest days, complete a series of stretches for your glutes, quads, hamstring and calves. Doing yoga and/or pilates during your rest days is a good way to keep yourself limber.

You might also want to use a foam roller or massage ball, especially if you have particularly tight muscles which need some extra attention.

Strength training such as squats and lunges will build muscle mass to help power your runs and improve stability. Your gluteus medius is particularly important to hip stability, which you can learn about by clicking here for Andy’s blog on the subject.

Finally, don’t skimp on footwear. Your pair of fashionable trainers might be by a sports brand, but if they’re not running shoes they’re not going to do you any good.

Different footwear is better for different people, so it’s worth checking in with a physiotherapist to see what type of shoes they recommend and whether you could benefit from orthotics.

 

Come and see us to start running on the right foot

The more you know your body, the more able you’ll be to take measures to reduce your risk of running injury. Physiotherapy isn’t just for rehabilitation, we’re also experts in prevention. And, believe me, preventing is always better than treating.

We offer a range of services which benefit runners, from gait analysis and bespoke exercise programmes to full body testing to identify your unique strengths, weaknesses and imbalances.

To book your appointment, email info@coventgardenphysio.com, call 0207 497 8974, or book online.

London Physio - Kevin Kong Covent Garden Physiotherapy
Kevin Kong
BPhty Physiotherapist

 

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Alex Pitt
Alex Pitt
18:05 19 Oct 21
An excellent experience. Both Kevin and Anthony are superb, I can't recommend them enough.
Joseph N’Guessan
Joseph N’Guessan
09:45 29 Apr 21
Highly recommend Anthony. Great service - understanding and knowledgable.
Geoff L
Geoff L
14:05 17 Mar 21
Kevin Kong at Covent Garden Physio is outstanding ! I have seen a lot of physios in my time but Kevin is by far and away the best ! He has taken me from long term back problems which were casuing me huge issues to fully functional again and sorted my knees out too. Don't waste your time and money on random physios.... go see Kevin and get great results !read more
Holly Lazarev
Holly Lazarev
05:35 26 Aug 20
I recently found myself suffering from a lower back and leg injury that brought with it very bad pain, numbness in my leg and also weakness. Seeing as I have a history of having herniated discs in my lower back, I just assumed that I was having another issue related to the discs in my back and I began to get concerned. Not sure what to do, I spoke to my GP who recommended trying Physiotherapy first to see if that would alleviate my issues and I did an online search and came across Covent Garden Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic. Not only were they conveniently located to where I live, but their reviews were wonderful so I decided to give them a call. My first point of contact was Victoria, the office manager and she was so incredibly kind, helpful and accomodating. She got me in for an initial visit right away and she recommended that I see Scott Branny for my Physiotherapy needs. Scott was so incredibly knowledgeable, kind, attentive and helpful and from my first visit with him up until my last visit, he always knew just how to help me feel better and get me on the road to recovery. Every exercise that he showed me worked magnificently and before I knew it, I was no longer experiencing any pain or weakeness and I was back to myself! I am so thankful and grateful to Scott, Victoria and everyone at Covent Garden Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic for providing such an excellent service and for being so kind and compassionate! I highly reccommend them to anyone in need of Physiotherapy! :)read more
Jay Owens
Jay Owens
13:41 03 Dec 19
Cannot recommend highly enough. Physio Anthony Vidis is genuinely a wizard, and has often managed to set me right in a single session. This makes Covent Garden Physio way more cost-effective than other places that might have you coming back week after week - and I have recommended him to many friends. Booking online is easy and convenient, they often have appointments available before/after work - and practice manager Victoria is helpful with bookings short notice. Don't go anywhere else.read more
Stevie Mann
Stevie Mann
11:42 29 Nov 19
Very happy with my experience here, the consultation was thorough and came out with a plan to move forward. Physiotherapist makes you feel at ease. Highly recommend.read more
Geoff Y
Geoff Y
10:11 10 Oct 19
My shoulders and neck are broken, well not broken but in a bad way. On a suggestion from a colleague, I went to try this out. I saw Anthony Vidis and within a few minutes he'd already started on a plan. He seemed skilled and knowledgeable, asking a lot of questions before he started any manipulation. The first session left me with a lot more movement and the second session even more so. Less pain and more flexibility has definitely provided a better life experience.read more
Dan Redfearn
Dan Redfearn
19:39 24 Sep 19
I was referred to Scott Branney due to a shoulder injury. This was my first physio experience and I have been very satisfied with the treatment I have received from Scott. Scott is very knowledgable, has set a really thorough exercise routine to compliment the treatment. On top of everything he's a really nice guy! Very happy to recommend him.read more
PB Creative
PB Creative
11:29 15 Aug 19
I've been receiving treatment from Scott for the last 8 months following shoulder surgery and have been very happy with everything throughout. Scott has done a great job in successfully rehabilitated my shoulder back to pretty much full health and has been very supportive and proactive in prescribing and monitoring my progress through bi-weekly checkups and home exercise programmes. In general, I have found Covent Garden Physiotherapy to be a friendly, welcoming and highly effective place to receive treatment and would highly recommend them.read more
Rachel Sloan
Rachel Sloan
20:53 31 May 19
I went to Covent Garden Physio with a groin injury three weeks ahead of the Edinburgh Marathon. My physiotherapist, Scott, was extremely helpful and as well as clearly explaining and quickly sorting the problem, gave me good advice for avoiding future injuries. Highly recommended!read more
Owen Turner
Owen Turner
16:57 25 Mar 19
My physiotherapist, Scott, was able to help me to sort my knee out in time to complete the London Landmarks Half. Very happy with the price and service. The advice he gave me on running technique will serve me well in the future, hopefully avoiding any future injuries due to bad form. Would recommend to friends and family!read more
Carlos Heywood
Carlos Heywood
21:11 05 Dec 18
Kevin Kong. Make sure to book him as he knows his stuff and can help massively.
Jennifer Tye
Jennifer Tye
12:20 10 Sep 18
Excellent. Smiley staff, great physio.
Giulia F
Giulia F
20:30 19 Sep 17
Had a very good experience. The team was very quick to book me in and answer my questions. I was visited by Anthony who was very friendly and helpful, he really helped me to fix my issue, explaining what had happened by my back and the pain was gone in 24h! Very good price for excellent service.read more
Ryan Jay
Ryan Jay
13:47 28 Feb 17
I have been seeing Andrew Marshall for the past six weeks, after my recovery of a hip replacement had slowed. I must say that the service has been fantastic, and I have felt significant improvements in the functionality and comfort of my new hip. Andrew has demonstrated a remarkable expertise on the muscular and anatomical factors regarding my recovery, but he always explains them in a concise, practical fashion. He answers questions brilliantly and ensures that I am comfortable and confident with each exercise before leaving me to progress through them. On top of this, Andrew's colleagues are friendly and the facilities they operate in are top notch. I would recommend Covent Garden Physio to anyone with not only hip issues, but any other injuries or recovery periods that they may need help with.read more
Pete McDonnell
Pete McDonnell
18:37 20 Feb 17
Been using Covent G Physio on and off for 10 years... from post surgery to sports injury. Recommended to a number of friends who were equally impressed. Physio, deep tissue and acupuncture .. very friendly, polite and professional staff ... issue sorted every time. Highly recommend them. And in a very interesting & lovely location. read more
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