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When it pains to
run
Muscle pulls, heel
spurs, sciatica and shin splints are all injuries that can make running a painful
process
By Andrea Wall
It almost feels like getting kicked in the butt by a mule.
Or at least that’s how longtime runner Ed Cheatham described the pain associated
with sciatica, which is an irritation of the sciatic nerve that runs down the
leg.
Cheatham, who has completed two Boston Marathons and countless other marathons,
credits running for keeping him healthy, but has faced his share of running-induced
injuries as well.
"Sciatica was a really painful injury," said Cheatham, 59. "It came on when I
first started training for triathlons. I could hardly walk. It was awful."
Sciatica is just one of many injuries people can sustain from running. Other common
problems include Achilles tendonitis, heel spurs and shin splints.
"Shin splints and pulled hamstrings are probably the most common injuries in runners,"
said Don Melrose, an exercise physiologist and a professor of kinesiology at Texas
A&M University-Corpus Christi. "The best prevention, realistically, is making
sure you have a new pair of shoes with good support and that your muscles are
in shape."
Cheatham’s wife, Candy, will be running her 15th Beach to Bay. And while the 4.4-mile
run won’t give her too many problems, at age 55, full-length marathons and triathlons
are now out of the question.
"I’m just your everyday runner," Candy Cheatham said, "and it has put a lot of
stress on my body over the years. So, the older I get, the more I slow down and
the less I run."
While sciatica can be hard to prevent, there are many ways to thwart some other
common running injuries.
Shin splints are caused by very small tears in the leg muscles at their point
of attachment to the shin. Rapid increase of speed or distance, hard surface running
and running on the balls of your feet are some causes.
Runners who start to feel a tightness in their shins should avoid running on concrete
and if pain worsens, methods such as biking or swimming should be used to stay
in shape.
"Strengthening that area of your body specifically will help," Melrose said. "But,
it probably won’t prevent it from happening. I always tell athletes they need
to vary the surfaces they run on. Terrain makes a big difference because solid
surfaces send ground reaction forces right back through your ankles, knees and
hips."
Hamstring and quadricep pulls or tears are another plague for runners. Poor stretching
or not warming up can leave muscles cold and more susceptible to injury. Hamstrings
can be protected by not taking strides that are too long. You can avoid injury
in the quads by not running too fast or not running on your toes.
"When muscles continually operate in a shortened range of motion, they tend to
become tight," Melrose said.
While the Cheathams have both sustained injuries from running, they are certain
that running has brought more positives to their lives than negative.
"Just health wise, we are both in great shape, especially for our age," Candy
Cheatham said. "Running has given me the confidence to do things I never thought
I had the potential to do."
Contact Andrea Wall at 886-3631 or walla@caller.com |
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