Injury Prevention for Runners -Part I

Nowadays there are more and more Singaporean take up running as their hobby. They can be spotted, both on weekends and weekdays, in parks or on scenic stretch of the city. My ex-colleagues back in Singapore Sports Council must be very happy as their assigned task to promot sports to Singaporean has taken off successfully. As the year end Singapore Marathon is drawing near, I am sure many runners are increasing their training mileage to prepare themselves for the grueling distances on 2 Dec 2007.

I myself had been preparing for my 2nd marathon too. Contrary to what my friends think, I am NOT a good runner. My body structure is really not meant for running, as my relatively wider Q-angle make my knees naturally injury-prone. But I can't afford to stop running, because running is a great aerobic exercise that keeps my heart and lungs fit. It is also convenient to do, I don't need any special equipment /court rental nor an exercise partner, I can run as & when I feel like getting a good workout.

As I am an injury-prone runner, I read a lot about injury prevention specifically relating to running. Running no doubt can cause injuries in lower limbs (calves, ankles, Achilles tendon, etc) and lower back. These problems usually occur due to poor technique, uneven surfaces, muscle overuse, excessive training or incorrect footwear. In this Injury Prevention series, I will talk about some common injuries related to running, and also how Pilates can help prevent or rehabilitate them.

*However, information presented in P-Latte is meant for your reference only, you should stop from training if you experience pain during or after exercise and seek medical advice*

Piriformis Syndrome

Signs and Symptoms: Pain or numbness felt in buttock that sometimes radiating down the leg, especially when the hip is externally rotated.

Possible cause: Relying too much on one leg (such as when running on uneven surface, poor running posture, or when one leg being longer than the other); minor twisting on one leg due to incorrect running style; and a weak piriformis muscles.

How to prevent: Stick to even running surfaces, avoid turning hips inwards when running, particularly when training on slopes; correct leg length discrepancy.

How can Pilates help:

1. Hip Opening - Strengthen the gluteus medius muscle.

2. Single Knee Kicks - Lengthen the psoas muscle

3. Piriformis stretch - lengthen and relax the piriformis

4. Knee Drops - Stretch external hip rotators, gluteus maximus, obturator internus, gluteus medius/ minimus, psoas,obturator externus and piriformis.

~ More "injuries" in Part 2 and 3,so read on! ~