Running Injuries, their Prevention & Treatments

One of the benefits of using DailyMile is finding good links to excellent running-related information (thanks, Run Janet!) I am not a physician, and relate the following only as it has been helpful to myself and I believe the information to be sound. The following video is a bit long at an hour in length, but is well worth the time as Stanford University's School of Medicine's Michael Fredericson, M.D. provides a tremendous amount of good advice regarding the prevention and treatment of running injuries.



I recently developed a minor hamstring sprain, and in researching self-treatment options I found two good sources of information, which has allowed me to recover quickly:

• Hamstring sprain information
• Progressive exercise for the hamstring

I have suffered Achilles Tendonitis/Tendinopathy in the past, and after trying a number of mildly helpful - but non-curative - stretches found progressively weighted eccentric stretches of the injured leg to cure me of the condition.

• Achilles Tendonitis / Tendinopathy - Explained in a Minute
• A video demonstrating use of the leg press or stairs to eccentrically contract only on the affected leg (Similar to this video demonstration I raised on my non-injured leg, then lowered on my injured leg. I did this exercise over six weeks, starting with minimal supplemental weight, then gradually added resistance via the leg press.)

Fortunately I have never suffered plantar fasciitis, but having several friends who have I have copied three excellent write-ups on-topic:

• StrengthRunner's PF Cure
• The Trail Jogger's Tips for treating plantar fasciitis 
• Run Run Live Podcast on Plantar Fasciitis with Jeff Hoening

I have suffered IT Band excess tightness, and found this video from StrengthRunning.com to helpful:


Also from StrengthRunning.com is a very good warm-up set of exercises:

Finally, a few related worthwhile sites or links:

• An interesting and topical New York Times article on the "The Hope and Hype of Sports Medicine"
• My "Pool Running Perfected" blog post
• RunnersWorld Site on Injury Prevention
• Blaise Dubois' Running Clinic  
• FellRnr's site