Today, I want to take a step back and discuss the running-injury-red-flags we should all be looking out for.
As runners, we are constantly dealing with the aches and pains. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I had a run that didn’t involve some little annoying ache that made me wonder, “Is this real? Is this something that is going to hurt during my next race?”
Hopefully, this article will provide some guidelines to help you answer that question. As a chiropractor that treats running injuries every day, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is to know these red flags so you can curtail the injury process into an easy fix as opposed to a long, chronic problem.
As I mentioned earlier, all runners must become accustomed to having aches and pains while running. Running isn’t easy! Soreness is a normal response from our body as it learns to adapt to that burden. As our muscles grow stronger, many of these little annoyances will disappear. However, some will not, and we must learn to listen to our body and recognize when we are asking too much of it. The zen poet Anita Krizzan once said, “When it hurts – observe. Life is trying to teach you something.”
Normal Aches and Pains
With these you should feel comfortable continuing to train as normal.
- You have some mild pain while running that doesn’t change your gait. In other words, it’s not making you limp or shorten your strides so you experience less pain. I often feel this during the first few minutes of a run when I’m you are stiff and a little sore from yesterday. But, after a few minutes, I’m good to go.
- You have some pain while running, but as soon as you stop, you don’t feel the pain again. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments can get overworked while running and start asking for some rest. If the pain you have goes away immediately when you stop running and doesn’t come back, you should be in the clear. It’s always good to monitor these types of pain in a log or journal so you can look back and see if there are consistent issues. I can’t tell you how many runners I talk to who say, “um it’s been bothering me for a week, no maybe more like 2 months.” A journal is a great way to stay on top of that!
- It doesn’t last that more than a few days In light of my last point, the duration of a certain pain can be an indicator of its seriousness: discomfort that only lasts 2 to 3 days is usually not something to worry about, but if it lasts more than 3 days, your training may be altered and preventative measures might be necessary.
Red Flags
These, on the other hand, are more indicative of a true injury that may need both rest and medical attention:
- You feel pain in the same location several runs in a row. You may have felt a little twinge a few days ago in your kneecap. You didn’t think much of it at the time, but now a week has passed and it’s still there.
- Your pain worsens as the run continues. As I mentioned earlier, it’s normal to be a little sore at the beginning of your runs. However, if the pain increases the farther you run, something is definitely in need of attention.
- Pain is starting to change your gait. This is THE big red flag in my book. Not only are you probably aggravating the current injury but you are most likely on the way towards injuring something else (usually the opposite calf or glute) by altering your stride to compensate.
- You have more serious pain sensations. Does it feel like you’re being stabbed? Ok, well that’s not normal! Dull aches that come and go are ok, but any type of sharp pain bears investigation.
- Pain interrupts your sleep. This indicates you’re in body is in the midst of a more serious injury process. Our body’s heal themselves while we sleep (yep, you can use that as an excuse for a 2 hour nap on a Sunday afternoon.) If you wake up in the middle of the night grabbing your leg, your body is doing some serious healing (I often find this indicates something bone related like a fracture may be going on) and you should seek medical advice.
- You’re seeing swelling and discoloration. Sometimes the body not only speaks to us but also shows us there is some sort of injury process happening. are two additional red flags that will also help your health care provider determine the gravity of your injury.
This is a lot to remember, but if I could distill it down to one, most-important lesson, it would be that we have to be mindful of our bodies, listen to them, and respect their limitations. As runners, we love the idea of “no pain, no gain.” Unfortunately, that’s just a recipe for wasted time when it comes to aches and pains. When something comes up (and trust me, it will), refer back to this list. If you’re seeing some red flags, be smart! Some time off and a visit to me or another professional now will mean way less wasted time in the future!
– Ian Nurse DC
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