Running is a repetitive & high impact occupation. Therefore the sports massage therapist sees a high incidence of people that are suffering from a runners injury. Many of these people are new to the sport & have built up their training too quickly, but seasoned athletes often arrive with over-use & muscle imbalance type injuries. Favourite runners injuries are Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, runner’s knee & sprained ankles. Stress fracture of the tibia, calcaneus or metetarsals are also fairly common & these patients must be referred for an X-ray or scan.

To avoid a runners injury it is crucial that the new runner is fitted by an expert into a suitable pair of running shoes. It is also important that training is built up gradually over a period of time. Strength or circuit training is also beneficial in avoiding the typical runners injury. This is because the cardio-vascular system often responds more quickly to training than the muscles & tendons. Therefore the new runner is able to run further & over more challenging routes, & the muscular system struggles to cope. There may also be discrepancies such as weak buttocks, over-pronation & other joint misalignments which do not become an issue until the person takes up running. The repetitiveness of the sport soon causes these relatively small imbalances to develop into a typical runners injury.