Running myths and realities – What to do for a running injury?

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Running myths and realities – What to do for a running injury?

Running is a sport that is visibly increasing in popularity. The simplicity of this sport and its health benefits fuel the motivation to put on your shoes and go for a run.
Unfortunately, as with many things, a huge number of myths related to running circulate through word of mouth and personal anecdotes. In this series of blog articles, we're setting the record straight by demystifying some key aspects of running.

What to do for a running injury? If it seems to persist or you want to resolve the injury as quickly as possible, you should consult a physiotherapist who has expertise in running.

Some will be able to treat themselves with good quantification of mechanical stress, choosing appropriate footwear (see the article on shoes – Link to blog #13) and adopting good running behaviors (see the article on running technique – Link to blog #12).

Here are some additional key elements that will help you manage the injury:

Break up running sessions by including walking minutes in the run.
Reduce the duration of running sessions, but increase the frequency during the week. For example, it is better to run 5 times for 10 minutes a week than twice for 25 minutes when injured. The body adapts faster this way.
Do not run through pain by masking it with medication. Pain is a warning signal indicating that there is potentially something that deserves to be investigated.
Listen to your body. It will often guide you to the right dosage for running sessions.
Practice transfer activities such as swimming, cycling, aquajogging. This allows you to maintain a level of physical activity without putting too much stress on the running injury.
Optimize your sleep quality. As with any injury, tissue repair occurs mainly when you sleep at night. The better your sleep, the better your chances of improving.

To learn more...

To learn more about running, check out the podcast "Parle-moi de santé" by one of our physiotherapists, Alexis Gougeon. Episode #1 discusses running.

Episode #1 discusses the prevention and treatment of running injuries.

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Find the episode on YouTube:

Click below to listen to episodes on podcast platforms:

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Source:

Van Gent RN. (2007). Incidence and determinants of lower extremity running injuries in long distance runners: a systematic review. British journal of sports medicine.

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