As a runner I have seen my fair share of injuries over my few decades of running, some serious some not so serious and I know that I am not alone. The research says that 8 out of 10 people who run will get some form of an injury every year, when you think about this that’s quite a lot! Sometimes these injuries are INGROWN TOENAILS!!!

So why do we get injuries?

Overuse injuries in runners are one of the most common injuries seen. It sounds quite simple but what does it mean to you, that you are placing a load through your feet and muscles that it simple can’t handle. For what reason that is can be a little more complex, it could simple be the amount of running you are doing, you may have a race coming up and want to be ready for it or more to the point you may have a biomechanical deficiency that is leading to that.

You may think well I can run 3-4km or even 10km without any worries why can’t I run father, however it is when the body is in a fatigued state is when we are placing the most load on our muscles and tendons and these biomechanical deficiencies lead to the over use injury.

Another common reason we see injuries is poor footwear selection. Runners are a funny bunch and the hype of what another runner has done or works for them sometimes we believe will work for us. A great example of this is the ‘Barefoot Craze’ bought on by the book ‘Born to Run’. That book promoted a whole new range of shoes, however in the preceding years there is very little of these style of shoes still around. Yes the Olympic Marathon was won in 1960 by Abebe Bikila in barefoot, however he won it 4 years later in shoes and took 4 mins off his time!!

So what is the take home message for you the runner? If you need advice or a second opinion come and get checked out by a professional…  And next time you have an injury don’t feel alone!!

 

By- Luke Doyle (PODIATRIST)

Phone: 62932024

Email us at info@canberraingrowntoenail.com.au

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