No matter how careful you are, accidents can still happen. Runners undergo lap after lap of rigorous training and racing, but having that whole routine plagued by any leg injury is nothing short of devastating.
Some people want to continue and persevere in their running despite an injury. This may be for a particular milestone they desire to achieve or simply personal reasons. Either way, some runners want to continue their sprint. Here are things you need to consider if you still want to keep running even when injured.
Training Sores
Runners aren’t foreign to the feeling of soreness, especially if they have a heavy-duty running schedule they abide by. Musculoskeletal pain, or pain in the muscles and bones of certain parts of the body, is common among men and women alike.
Studies have shown that this type of pain is prevalent among those with recreational running schedules too. People have been reporting pain prior to and during a race, but some clearly choose to carry on despite its effect on their performance. However, if you feel a sharp pain that greatly inhibits your movement, it may not just be a simple training sore any longer.
Level of Pain
Now, there are different levels of pain that people experience. Some may feel their muscle or bone tissues breaking down due to the stress of running. Some people continue to exert effort if this tissue injury still feels mild or slightly inflamed. It’s recommended to have your injury heal.
With the varying pain levels runners can experience, we also have to consider that everyone reacts differently to pain. Some people have low pain tolerance, so their threshold may not take much before they require rest. It’s essential to identify your limit and never overexert yourself to the point of causing yourself so much discomfort and injuring yourself.
Bearable Injuries
As an athlete, you won’t be able to tell whether your injury is common or fatal. It’s important not to aggravate either and get a diagnosis from a medical professional to understand what your body is experiencing. This could range from kneecap pain to more severe fractures.
Kneecap pain is a regular running injury that occurs at the patellofemoral joint by the knee. Most runners power through this mild pain if they can distract themselves from the pain. Other injuries that are initially bearable for the most part besides runner’s knee are iliotibial band pain syndrome, hamstring injuries, Achilles tendonitis and the like.
Running Load
Being adamant about continuing to run and train can be admirable, but you still need to be thoughtful and careful about it. A slight decrease in your running load and added rest can help reduce the time you need to take off as a whole from your regular laps.
The extra time off will let the physical damage in the affected tissues breathe and ease slowly. It’s essential to be patient and understand that your journey to healing and recovery from the injury should be prioritised over everything else.
Conclusion
It’s still recommended to rest your injury even when it’s possible to continue running. If you don’t have any existing sprains and the like, you can seek help from a professional to minimise the possibility of an injury and improve your running technique to ensure utmost security.
Want to get a running analysis? Invigor Health in Bondi Beach offers physiotherapy that helps runners fix pain and future-proofs your body from injury. Get in touch with us today!