3 Common Running Injuries and Ways to Treat Them

As a physical therapist I often see common injuries among runners. In many of these cases there are just a few simple exercises that can be done to help treat the injury. Check out these three common running injuries and ways to treat them.

Runner's Knee: Runner's knee AKA IT Band Syndrome is one of the most common running injuries. This injury is identified with pain on the outside of the knee. This can occur for a number of reasons but most commonly is due to weakness of the hip muscle, the gluteus medius. By strengthening this muscle pain can be reduced and function can be improved. If you have this injury, try doing a "monster walk" with a theraloop around your ankles. Make sure to keep toes straight ahead and the trunk upright.

Shin Splints: Shin splints is another very common injury among runners. This injury is identified by pain in the front part of the shin. It can be caused by weakness of the calf muscle, the soleus. To treat it, try completing the bent knee calf raise to strengthen the muscle. Make sure the knee stays bent through the motion.

Lower Back Pain; Lowe back pain is common in all people, but also in runners. If the pain is not related to a disc or nerve, it could be caused by a muscle. A common muscle that can cause lower back pain in runners is the hip flexor, or psoas muscle. When this muscle gets tight it can pull on the spine causing pain. To treat this injury try the hip flexor stretch in a kneeling position. Make sure to stay upright and prevent arching of the lower back k.

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