Running | Elite Therapy

Springs Back and so are Longer Days

Welcome again to the latest edition of my newsletter. It’s been a very busy start of the year with many new faces, which is excellent, but more importantly on my part, preparation for my wedding in May. I will be taking time off from Wednesday 16th May to Thursday 4th June for this. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

There has also been a date set for this years Cancer Research event I hold annually. As time is limited to organize a lot, the team have decided to hold a disco at AFC Kempston on Saturday 11th August, which will also have a BBQ, raffle and auction over the evening. The annual football tournament will take place the following day at the same venue. Teams are £60 each, so if interested please get in touch and keep Saturday 11th August free!

Shoulder Instability Rehabilitation

Shoulder problems are common in everyday life, and with the shoulder joint, or gleno-humeral joint, being the most unstable, this is no surprise. The joint is a ball and socket joint, made up of the head of the humerus as the ball and the glenoid fossa, of the scapula bone, being the socket it fits into. The shoulder also has 2 other joints which make up the shoulder girdle, these being the acromio-clavicular joint and the sterno-clavicular joints¹.

Around these joints are many ligaments from the muscles that produce the masses of movements available at the shoulder joints. These movements in the various directions and planes recruit many muscles and so damage is common in many different parts of the joints.

To assess the shoulder a therapist may imply a number of diffrerential tests to figure out the source of the problem. Ranges of motion in the various movements also gives a good indication of any damage that may have occurred. This allows a suitable rehabilitation program for the specific injury at hand.

Exercises to be performed would include stretching, strengthening and proprioceptive exercises². A few involved are listed below:-

Chest stretch in a doorway
Sleeper Stretch
Shoulder extensions
Rotator cuff muscle strengthening
Three and four point kneeling scapular control

These are just some exercises and a specific programme needs to be designed for each individuals needs. Feel free to get in touch for advice and guidance for any shoulder pains you may encounter.

Running Research

Medial tibial stress syndrome, more commonly called shin splints, is a very common running injury and is brought about by over excessive running on hard ground³. It may cause uncomfort in other areas of the body, such as the feet as the body biomechanically changes to cope with the damage in the front of the lower leg area. Rehabilitation may include slight rest, icing protocols and stretching, though it is important to get advice prior to trying to resolve the problem by yourself.

Eating the correct food is very beneficial to running. The consumption of carbohydrates is essential, but the time of intake also make a difference. ‘Carbohydrate loading’ is a commonly used strategy. It ensures muscle glycogen levels are fully stored prior to a run and exercise is also minimised so the stores stay full for the main event4. 10-12 g/kg/day over the 36-48 hour period prior to the race is the general guideline for carbohydrate loading, but this needs to be discussed with a nutritionist or dietician.

Chronic fatigue syndrome, or myalgic encephalomyelitis, is a condition that arises from exercise-induced muscle fatigue over a prolonged period5. It is more common in females and generally found between the ages of 20 and 40. It is characterised by over exercising and pain during the excessive exercise. It may cause sleep disturbances, joint pain and headaches, amongst others. If you feel your exercise regime is causing a lot of issues, consult your doctor.

Quick Facts

1. Train for endurance in the morning and strength in the afternoon to maximize hormone peaks

2.Scrambled eggs for breakfast help speed up metabolism and satiate your hunger for longer.

3.Avoid blisters with new footwear by wearing thin under-socks with vasceline in pressure areas.

References

1. Horsley, I., Is it Really a Shoulder Problem?, SportEx Medicine, April 2011, Issue 48, pp. 8-12.

2. Morgan, R., Shoulder Instability Rehabilitation, A Case Study, SportEx Medicine, October 2011, Issue 50, pp. 14-19.

3. Elias, J., Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, SportEx Medicine, January 2012, Issue 51, pp. 7-14.

4. Burke, L.M., Nutritional Strategies for the Marathon, Sports Medicine 2007, Vol. 37 Issue 4/5, p344-349.

5. Www.meassociation.org.uk

Running Special

Welcome to the Autumn edition of Refreshing Rehab, not that we had much summer to look back at! With days rapidly getting shorter and temperatures never really getting high, it feels like there has been no summer at all.

Throughout October you also have the chance to get 50% off your next appointment! All you have to do is introduce a friend or family member to the treatment and you can save yourself money as well.

On Sunday 22nd August, I held a charity day in aid of Cancer Research and raised just over £1300. I am very pleased as I was aiming to raise £1000.

The current issue deals with various running problems and injuries. Running has a part in the majority of sport as well as everyday fitness for the mass public.

Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis is the inflammation or swelling of the Achilles tendon at the back of the leg, attaching to the heel. It is the tendon for the calf muscles and if injured causes a lot of pain, even when simply standing. The injury is a common one in runners as it is a repetitive injury. This means that when you run and train slightly above the normal range of the tendon, it get disrupted and fibres tear. If these damaged tissues do not get sufficient recovery time to repair, and more training is performed, the tissue becomes further damaged and eventually will become inflamed. The result is Achilles tendonitis. The rehabilitation is very important as it is an injury that has shown high re-injury rate, mainly due to a poor rehabilitation period from the previous injury. If you feel your Achilles tendon is injured or is just painful and you don’t know why, get in touch with a professional to help you recover in the best way possible.

Patellofemoral Pain

Patellofemoral pain is a pain felt at the front of the leg, behind the knee-cap or patella. The femoral part of the name suggests the problem is due to the knee-cap rubbing against the femur (thigh bone). The cause of the pain could be from a multiple of factors. These may include gender, age and even previous injuries amongst others. The pain may be constant and this would lead to a medical visit, though if the pain is onset by activity or exercise a check-up is valuable as it will indicate possible problems and how to deal with it. Patellofemoral injuries are common as there are so many factors that can instigate it. Runners may find that an ankle problem has lead the knee to move slightly to cause malalignment in the knee. This could lead to certain muscles in the quadriceps group to become weak or tight. A specific rehabilitation program is needed to return the muscles and knee to there original positions.

Stress Fractures in Runners

Stress fractures are caused by repetitively running without allowing time for damaged bone fragments to be repaired. Most common areas to sustain stress fractures are the foot, tibia (shin bone) and femoral neck (top of thigh bone). During rests osteoblasts and osteoclasts work hard to reform any little bits of stressed, damaged bones. If this time is not sufficient then more damage is piled onto the bone and repair is accelerated to deal with the extra activity. If the body cannot cope with the demands put on the bones, a stress fracture will inevitably occur. To prevent stress fractures happening, follow a careful running program, allowing for the individuals needs, current condition and previous injuries. Don’t run too much, too often and make sure that there is enough time between exercise sessions for the body to recover.

Plantar Fasciitis

This condition is an inflammation of the plantar fascia. The planter fascia is a strong connective tissue going from the toes to the heel. It keeps the base of the foot together and stops the foot stretching too much. When fibres in the fascia get damaged and have no time to repair, the fascia becomes inflamed as a response mechanism. Causes of the condition could be weight, footwear and foot type, profession, traumas, new activities or previous and other injuries and conditions. You may feel pain in the heel after activity with the condition even though there may be no pain during exercise. Treating the condition could involve a bit of rest to allow inflammation to reduce, followed by massage, ultrasound and maybe strapping.

Elite Therapy

Sports Injury and Massage Centre

Tag Archives: Running