How Physiotherapists Can Prevent Running Injuries: Expert Tips for Trauma Evaluation

With more and more people taking up running as the easiest and fastest fitness activity to stay healthy, physiotherapists are trying their best to prevent injuries related to running with accurate assessment. They must consider various factors when any runner arrives at the door with some injury.

It is the job of physiotherapists to evaluate how grave the injury is, prevent it from worsening and turning into a chronic problem, and get back to health to perform at peak again. Running involves repetitive motion and carrying a lot of load on the body. Naturally, injuries are sure to occur at some point or another. With a thorough evaluation, problems can be solved effectively. Here are some expert tips for the evaluation of running trauma, with a special focus on two serious injuries –Tendinopathies and Bone stress injuries.

Tendinopathies

First and foremost, it is essential to have a proper idea about tendon behavior. During a subjective evaluation, physiotherapists need to watch out for various signs, such as:

  • The sensation of pain, with the painful area getting warm while running
  • Painful symptoms in the morning after the run
  • Temporary stiffness during the morning
  • Painful sensations that are triggered by frequency, distance, higher speed, and anything that changes the load

Therapists need to ask for enough information from runners so that they can obtain a detailed history.

Achilles tendinopathy

Many people who go running every day tend to suffer from this common tendon injury issue. When there is a case of Achilles tendon, an accurate assessment can be done by making a patient stand on a plank. He needs to keep his toes off the edge. With this minor change, it can be easy to evaluate actual calf capacity with greater accuracy.

The involvement of Plantaris is important to take into account while conducting differential diagnoses of mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy. The problem happens more often in cyclists and rowers, but physiotherapists should also check runners.

Proximal hamstring tendinopathy

Often, this kind of injury worsens due to sitting, uphill running, and other compressive activities. As in the case of Achilles tendinopathy, it is better for physiotherapists to make patients undergo a standard load capacity evaluation. It can begin with a squat and then progress to motions such as the arabesque.

The capacity of the hamstring can be tested further with a hand-held dynamometer, kept prone. The test is also possible with an eight-repetition maximum test over a hamstring curl machine lying prone, with a metronome. Around 0.3–0.4 times the body weight of the patient is a good benchmark.

Bone stress injuries

When it comes to endurance running, bone stress injuries happen to be a top consideration. These can arise all through the lower body area, right from the foot to the neck of the femur. It is important to distinguish between “high-risk” and “low-risk” areas.

The risks of complications can be higher in the femoral neck and other “high-risk” areas, due to lack of enough blood supply. It is necessary for physiotherapists to get a detailed history of the training load of runners over the past few months from the time of evaluation. This is because, rather than some particular event, the pain is likely to have developed following a cumulative loading phase.

Tibial BSIs

This is among the commoner bone stress injuries in people who go for a run. It is necessary to differentiate between a Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome and a True BSI, given that runners with MTSS are frequently able to run with adjustments.

Physiotherapists should check how long the tenderness on palpation has been. If pain is sensed over a spot less than 5 cm, instead of the more diffuse MTSS it can show a BSI. With the single-leg hop test, it is possible to determine completely whether a patient is suffering from tibial BSIs. A tibial BSI is not possibly the problem if, on a single-leg hop,the patient does not experience any pain.

Femoral BSIs

Femoral BSIs are “high-risk” in nature, although not as common. These need to be handled with care. If BSIs are diagnosed on the superior side of the femoral neck, where there is tension, an orthopedic referral is needed instantly. Otherwise, the injury can worsen and lead to a complete fracture.

Such types of injuries generally manifest in the form of anterior hip pain, especially during activities that involve flexing the hip. For femoral neck BSIs, no specific test is available. However, the FADIR (Flexion-Adduction-Internal Rotation) test can be used to make the pain evident and lead to a successful diagnosis.

Bottom Line

When it comes to assessing injuries associated with running, these expert tips can help physiotherapists significantly. They can understand the exact causes of pain in runners. They can develop a targeted plan for treatment and help patients recover quickly, going back to running in a safe, effective way.

Find the best physiotherapist in Carlingford and consult for your running injuries.