Farmageddon '5' 2015 Results - click here

Farmageddon '5' 2015 Results - click here
Photograph courtesy of Tony Scales

Friday 6 February 2009

Injuries and Illness Thread.........

Use this thread to discuss running injuries and illnesses. Seek advice from other network members or share your own experiences in response to others.

3 comments:

  1. Kathryn McFarlane27 May 2009 at 00:39

    Hi,
    Has anyone tried / got an opinion on Kinesio taping? It was advertised in Runners' World a couple of issues ago (http://www.kinesiotaping.com/). I thought I'd recovered from a knee injury so started training for the Potters' Arf - now my knee is grumbling again. I was wondering whether to invest in some Kinesio tape, or if masking tape would do the trick just as well.
    Thanks!
    Hop-along.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Colin Livingstone7 July 2011 at 14:25

    If you have a knee injury, try pressing half way up the inner thigh, where you will probably find a very tender/ sore pressure point, or band of muscle.

    1 At this point, gently massage with increasing pressure for several minutes, pressing on the tender point until the pain dies away. You are getting to a trigger point in fixing a lot of knee ailments.In most cases, the pain will ebb away and free the knee from the tight 'banding'and constricted muscle groups.Your muscles inflame/tighten because the body is trying to prevent acidosis or further stress.

    2 Then, work your fingers around and below the patella (kneecap ) where you will probably find equally tender banding and connective tissue. Okay, now work your fingers immediately above the knee on the connective tissue between the quadricep muscle and the knee...which will probably be tight / tender as well.

    3 Now you have worked and loosened the tighter muscle and connective bands, work your way down the calf muscle and repeat the process.

    A lot of knee injuries are caused by tight tendons, calves, lower lumbar and hip tightness, pronation and...believe it or not...the unresolved tender area between the Gracilis and Sartorius etc.

    At the same time, poor foot strike ( pronation)is working its way up the Achilles to the calf region.The upper Achilles and lower calf is usually tight and tender as well.

    So, after you have gradually massaged away one of the root causes, how do you maintain a healthy, functioning knee ?

    1 Relaxed, steady easy running on grass or trail
    as a long aerobic run. Easy recovery running is one of the most neglected components of training.Lack of easier sessions leads to injury because the system cannot cope with acidosis, or the connective tissue is not developed enough from lower strata aerobic development to cope with faster work.

    2 Take shoes and socks off and try this exercise with your foot. Try and pick up a pencil or a tea towel from the floor with your toes !! Do it every day to exercise the foot.Run in bare feet on clean sand, or soft grass to work the foot muscles, like the Africans.How many of them have foot or knee problems ?.

    It is amazing how many runners can't, won't or don't do it...but that is where the knee problems start...from an oft neglected platform of springy muscles, ligaments, bones and sinews that should be nimble, powerful and flexible.


    Anyway, I've rambled long enough...but give it a go and you might be a happier, healthier athlete.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Colin - this seems like top advice!

    ReplyDelete

Shrewsbury AC Win Team Gold at Wyre Forest 8

Shrewsbury AC Win Team Gold at Wyre Forest 8
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