All about injuries, part 2
The Steps To Take Once You’re Injured
This is part 2 of a three-part series. Start at Part 1: Causes of injury/injury prevention
So you’re in pain. What now?
Injuries can be complex; so many moving parts are at play when we run. Sometimes the pain can be so bad you can’t fathom taking another step - then you spend 15 minutes working out a kink on a foam roller and you’re good as new. Other times, you hear of athletes completing multiple 100-mile races without realizing their hamstring had been half detached from their hip the whole time (ahem, Kaci Licktieg).
How are you supposed to know how serious an injury is? It is always better to err on the safe side than to continue running and making the injury worse. If the pain is severe, seek medical help immediately. These guidelines below are meant for on-the-fence pain:
Rest
This can mean a complete stop from running, running less, or reducing the intensity of running.
Self massage or foam rolling
Our muscles are surrounded and held by a layer of connective tissue called fascia; fascia surrounds every part of our body, including our organs, and it forms one huge connected web! Sometimes, through a cycle of trauma, healing, and scarring, knots can form in fascia which prevents muscles from moving properly, causing pulling or pain. Knots can often be worked out through manual massage or foam rolling.
You can also go see a professional who specializes in such massages (look up local Active Release Technique providers here. Fascia needs to be hydrated in order to work smoothly - drink up!
Seek help
If you don’t experience relief from steps 1 and 2, seek help from a professional who is experienced with treating runners; a sports medicine doctor or a physical therapist are common options. A sports medicine doctor is a physician who can medically diagnose and treat you, utilizing MRIs or X-Rays if needed. Physical therapists assess your situation by listening to you, watching you move, and performing manual therapy. They will then educate you and assign rehab exercises which will aid in healing and reinjury prevention.
I cannot stress enough the importance of seeing a professional who specializes in athletes, ideally runners. The study of running’s effect on our bodies is still a relatively new area and always developing. Athlete-specialists will have the most up-to-date knowledge. For example, a general physician might tell you to “Just stop running” or something like “Running is bad for your knees,” which is frustratingly outdated information. Whereas an acute injury (fracture, tear, etc.) necessitates complete rest, soft tissue injuries will heal faster and better if you incorporate movement and active recovery.
For a more comprehensive step-by-step response list to injury, I refer you to this article which explains the acronym PEACE & LOVE - the most up-to-date recommendation for injury treatment replacing the common “RICE”. Most notably, the recommendation now is to NOT ice an injury, as it blunts the healing process.
Next, Part 3: The psychology of injury
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