| Running injuries are notoriously tricky to diagnose. | | | | a bent position for extended periods will |
| Most injuries result from overuse, rather than | | | | exacerbate your symptoms. Stretching to loosen |
| sudden trauma, and without a single, obvious | | | | the band can help resolve the problem. |
| trigger, it can prove difficult to correctly pinpoint | | | | What hurts? Lower back |
| the pain's source. Many running injuries stem from | | | | You think: Back injury |
| a different area than where they hurt. Runners | | | | But it could be: A Piriformis Strain |
| who don't seek medical help may misdiagnose | | | | The Difference |
| their injuries. | | | | The piriformis muscle is deep in the hip region, |
| And even some practitioners can have a hard | | | | next to the sciatic nerve. If it becomes strained |
| time identifying the cause of your pain, especially | | | | and goes into spasm, it can mimic a lower-back |
| if they don't typically treat athletes or if you don't | | | | injury. Often piriformis strains happen when you're |
| detail your training These common runners' | | | | putting in a lot of mileage on hard surfaces. The |
| maladies may - or may not - be what they seem. | | | | pain usually centres around the gluteal region and |
| Discuss the possibilities with your health-care | | | | gets worse with prolonged sitting. A doctor or |
| provider. | | | | physical therapist can differentiate between |
| What hurts? Shins | | | | sciatica and piriformis syndrome by stretching |
| You think: Shinsplints | | | | your piriformis muscle and conducting |
| But it could be: A Stress Fracture | | | | range-of-motion tests. The good news: Piriformis |
| The Difference | | | | injuries tend to respond well to physical therapy. |
| The pain strikes the same lower-leg area. | | | | What hurts? Sinuses, Neck, Random body parts |
| However, shinsplints pain lessens as you warm up, | | | | You think: A persistent cold or a few nagging |
| while stress-fracture pain continues through the | | | | injuries |
| end of a run. Stress-fracture pain often feels | | | | But it could be: Overtraining Syndrome |
| deep and radiates over a wide area, and | | | | The Difference |
| weight-bearing activities increase the discomfort. | | | | Push your body beyond its ability to recover, and |
| If you're unsure, or if symptoms don't go away in | | | | it will start to break down, a phenomena that |
| three weeks, get a bone scan to rule out a | | | | exercise physiologists call overtraining syndrome. |
| stress fracture. | | | | The problem is that every runner's body has its |
| What hurts? Knees | | | | own breaking point, and the warning signs are |
| You think: Runner's knee | | | | easy to brush aside. Look for a cascading effect. |
| But it could be: Iliotibial Band Syndrome | | | | It's a chain of events. You had one thing and now |
| The Difference | | | | it's two and then three. |
| The iliotibial band (ITB) is connective tissue that | | | | Overtraining actually results from too little |
| runs from your hip to your knee. A tight IT band | | | | recovery, which can happen even at low mileage. |
| can cause friction along the outside of your knee, | | | | You're run down, so you keep getting colds and |
| which is why it feels like a knee problem. I've | | | | little aches and pains. Other symptoms include |
| seen people get surgery for a meniscus tear and | | | | moodiness, depression, a dip in performance, |
| the doctor gets in there and realizes there's no | | | | trouble sleeping, and persistent fatigue. The cure: |
| tear. If it's ITB syndrome, then running downhill, | | | | rest and recovery. |
| lengthening your stride, and keeping your knee in | | | | |