Sunday, January 31, 2010

Staying on TOP of Injuries

Common Running Injuries: ANTERIOR NEW PAIN
(from Vaughan Nicholson, Red Hill Physio)

Vaughan from Red Hill Physiotherapy (one of our sponsors) will be contributing to our blog on a regular basis. After coming to training a few weeks ago, Vaughan has crafted his blog around a common injury that many of you asked about.

There are a number of conditions that can cause pain in the front of the knee, pain can be caused by various structures around the knee joint itself or can be referred from the hip or lumbar spine. Two common causes of anterior knee pain in runners are patellofemoral pain (pain around or under the knee-cap) and patella tendon dysfunction (pain below the knee-cap, usually on the tendon or where the tendon attaches to the top of the shin). Both these conditions can cause pain with running and if prolonged can cause pain with everyday activities such as stairs and walking.

Factors that may be involved in the development of anterior knee pain include poor running technique; sudden change in training load; hip, knee and pelvic weakness; reduced ankle mobility and footwear.

Some simple exercises that may help you reduce your anterior knee pain symptoms include:
a) Massage or roller on your quads and outside thigh (ITB) after running
b) Calf stretching after running to maintain mobility in your ankle
c) Strengthening of your hips and pelvis – eg. modified squats, lunges (pain free)
d) Adequate warm up prior to running

Your physiotherapist can provide further specific treatment and exercises. If you are having ongoing anterior knee pain or any other persistent pain that is affecting your running training then you should get a thorough assessment by your physiotherapist or other health care professional.

Should you have any further questions you can contact Vaughan Nicholson at RHP Physiotherapy (formally Red Hill Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centre) on 38565566 www.redhillphysio.com.au

BRS Core Strength for Runners - This Sunday 7 February
Strengthening your core is one of the key ways to avoid running injuries and to improve your running efficiency and performance.
There are some common misconceptions about what is the 'core' and training for core stability. First the core is simply your abs and lower back 'FALSE' -
Core stability is the muscles that link the core-abdominal region (trunk or torso) to the shoulder girdle and pelvic region.
This means: there are 3 key areas for core stability training.
1. Muscles that stabilise your shoulder blades (scapula)
2. Muscles that stabilise your torso (spine & pelvis)
3. Muscles that stabilise your pelvis

Second, core strength training is only for body builders and people who want six packs 'FALSE'
"Most of the muscles are deep within your torso and start from the hip and go right up to the neck and shoulders. They connect the pelvis, spine and shoulders, when strong they can generate powerful movements with the arms and legs but when an imbalance occurs so can injury."
Core stability is for everyone, more importantly for endurance athletes who perform continuous repetitive movements over long periods of time. Exercising core muscles helps to stabilise the torso, providing a strong and stable base that allows the effective transfer of forces throughout the body.....for endurance running, this means quicker times, for less effort and lower chance of injury.

To guide you on the most effective techniques and exercises to develop a stable core for running, we are introducing a monthly Core Stability session. These sessions will be held on the weekend.

First session:
When: This Sunday 8th February
Where: New Farm Park (next to the Rotunda)
Time: 7am - 8am
What to bring: a water bottle and towel
What ability: we will cater for all abilities and strengths
Cost: $8 members, $10 non-members

We look forward to seeing you there. Please bring along money if you would like to join us for a coffee after the session.

Happy Running
Renae & Matt

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