Newsletter for March 2017
Welcome to our Newsletter for March 2017
This months newsletter main topics will be about Marathon Running Injuries and the benefits of sports massages pre and post events. It will also contain news about what is happening at Julie Dass Sports Injury Clinic and team news.
Marathon Running Injuries the newsletter it will contain the top 5 marathon running injuries. The information will contain; the description of the injury, treatment and rehabilitation tips.
1. Plantar Fascitis:
Symptoms: an inflammation of the plantar fascia on the bottom of the foot. The common characteristic of this condition is a sharp, tight, painful sensation at the base of the heel.Eventually, the pain might go away as the day or a run is carried out, only to return afterward or again the next day.
Causes: Overtraining, overuse, and improper or worn-out footwear can cause pain in your heel, but the root of the problem lies in tight and weakened muscles in the foot. If your feet are weak, the heel takes on an excessive load and can’t handle the training you are trying to do.
Treatment: In the short term, avoiding bare feet, foam roll and stretch the calves, rolling your feet around on a golf ball or spikey ball, and icing the affected area will provide some much-needed relief relatively quickly. Place a bottle with water in the freezer, allow to freeze and get a washing up bowl or bucket of warm water. Roll your foot on the bottle 5 times with full body weight on the affected foot or if both one at a time, then place the foot in the warm water for 5 minutes and repeat 3 times.
2. Achilles Tendonitis
Symptoms: Pain situated at the back of the lower leg just the above the heel at the Achilles tendon, the thick band of tissue that attaches the calf muscles to the heel bone. Runners who suffer from Achilles tendonitis will often complain of swelling and pain close to the heel..
Causes: Tight calves are usually the main cause of achillies tendonitis, as it put strain on the achillies tendon. Also it can be due to overuse, unsupportive footwear and quick increase of training or intensity in training.
Treatment: Resting, icing, and stretching will all help to temporarily relieve symptoms. Aids such as orthotics, heel lifts, and highly structured shoes. Massage of both calves would also be beneficial to reduce the strain on the achillies with additionally using ultrasound to reduce the inflammation. Making sure sufficient warm up and stretching sessions are included into your training programme. In addition, making sure that training isn’t intensified quickly and is a gradual thing.
3. ITB Syndrome
Symptoms: The Iliotibial band is a tendon that connects your knee to your hip. IT band syndrome is when the tendon becomes inflamed. The pain orginates on the outer side of the knee and the pain is said to be worse going down hill.
Causes: Most commonly running downhill and running surfaces, it allows more stress to be place on the outer side of the knee causing friction between the IT band and the femur. Therefore, overtime the IT band tightens causing the area to sometimes get hot and swell which brings on pain. The pain eventually intensifies to the point where it keeps runners from running.
Treatment: Massaging the quadriceps and hamstring muscles around the area and ITB release will be beneficial and applying ultrasound will reduce the inflammation. Using a foam roller on the affected area will help loosen to IT, quads and hamstring up. in reducing inflammation. Avoid aggressive downhill running, and if you always run on the same side of the road, switch directions every so often. In addition, once the pain had alleviated strengthen your hips, quads and hamstrings and glutes.
4. Runner’s Knee
Symptoms: Constant ache underneath your kneecap. Runners Knee or patellofemoral knee syndrome. The main symptom is pain just below the kneecap that usually worsens as the intensity of exercise increases.
Causes: Uneven running surfaces, poor shoe selection, weak quadriceps and hips. In most cases, runner’s knee can be traced to the inability of the tissues surrounding the knee to recover in between runs.
Treatment: If your knee continues to hurt, don’t run. If there’s inflammation, work on reducing it with the anti-inflammatory and icing. Long term, switching up the surfaces you run on, strengthening the knee and change footwear if worn out.
5. Shin Splints:
Symptoms: A term for pain in the shin area. Shin splints can turn into a stress fracture along the tibia, and searing pain will be felt with every stride. However, in less severe cases, the muscles in the shin area may be tender and inflamed.
Causes: Shin pain can most often be traced back to a sudden increase in training volume and intensity. It is a common complaint among new runners beginning a training program. The lower legs take all of the initial impact forces, which then run through the rest of your body. Newer runners lower legs may not be strong enough to handle this stress, which is why it’s important to develop a solid base before increasing mileage or introducing speed work. The less mobile the muscles surrounding your shin are, the more stress there is on the entire area.
Treatment: Rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories will help reduce the tenderness and inflammation. Massage and ultrasound will also be beneficial in less severe cases to reduce the inflammation and reduce the tension in the muscles. Ease back into running and pay attention to your training. Increasing volume and intensity too quickly will almost always lead to trouble. Running on soft surfaces will help reduce the impact on your lower legs, and paying close attention to the mileage.
Runners may also experience other injuries which may include:
Blisters – Try and cover the area at the first sign of blistering, best coverage will be a gel bandage or moleskin pad. Any serious blistering seek medical advice, keep the area sterile and cover to prevent infection and further blistering. Additionally, experiment with combinations of shoes, socks, drying agents, covering pads and lubricants work best for you.
Black Toenail – Is caused by a blister or blood pooling under the nail. Most often caused by the repeated trauma of your foot sliding forward in your shoes. You can prevent black toenails by lacing up your shoes to retain your heel in the heel cup and prevent your foot sliding forward. You may loose your toe nail however this will grow back in time.
Dehydration – Signs of dehydration include dry mouth, fatigue, dizziness, stomach ache, back pain, headache, irritability and decreased urination. If you experience these, slow or stop and drink sports drink until you have recovered. Please make sure you drink the recommended guidelines.
Chafing – Chafing occurs where skin rubs against skin. Add salt from sweat and you have raw, painful areas. As you discover on your long training days which areas chafe, take measures to keep those areas dry with cornstarch, or lubricate them with petroleum jelly or roll-on silicone products.
Hyponatremia – This occurs when you drink too much fluid and your body doesn’t have time to eliminate it. This dilutes the salt concentration in your cells, which is very dangerous. Signs of hyponatremia include nausea, headache, cramps, confusion, slurred speech, bloating and swollen hands.
Sun and Wind Burn – Wear a hat to protect your face and the top of your head. Apply sunscreen to every bit of exposed skin, especially your ears. Protect your lips with a sun-protecting lip balm.
Muscle Cramps – Classic leg cramps can hit you during the marathon, especially if you experience dehydration and salt depletion. If a cramp strikes, stop and gently stretch and massage the cramped muscle. Drink isotonic to replace fluids and salt. To prevent these, work on proper posture throughout your training walks and runs.
Hitting the Wall – This due to completely running out of energy stores in your muscles. To prevent hitting the wall, drink full-strength sugared sports drink throughout the event. Supplement that with energy gels or other energy snacks to replace the number of calories you are expending.
Benefits of Sport Massages Pre and Post Events:
What do Sports Massages do?
A deep massage to relieve stress and tension build up in your muscles. Ideal for sports persons before or after an event or on a maintenance basis throughout training.
Massage is thought to relax muscles, and ultimately help to increase joint flexibility by reducing tension of muscles. It has also been proven to improve the stretch of connective tissue. Massage involves various strokes such as, effleurage, petrissage, tapotement and frictions all developed from Swiss massage.
Pre and Post Event Massages:
Improves and increases circulation of blood and lymphatic systems
Reduces pain and discomfort whilst training
Increase muscle tone & flexibility
Prevent Injuries if massage is recieved regularly
Increases stamina & ehances athletic/sports performance
Helps flush out toxins and lactic acid built up during and after exercise
Reduces Recovery time for tired and fatigued muscles
Avoids discomfort of experiencing Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) i.e Decreases muscle stiffness and soreness after exercise
Reduces muscle tension
Promotes relaxation
