Since the start of COVID-19 many people have increased their time spent running. Some are running for stress relief others for pleasure and others are running to meet goals. How does one avoid injury when increasing running distance or starting to run for the first time? Professionals have researched the following as risk factors for running injury: sex, age, BMI, height, weight, flat feet, blood flow, force distribution pattern, alignment, running experience, training, surface, distance, shoe use, history of previous injury, and orthotics use.
According to van der Worp, et al., the research gathered was inconclusive regarding the majority of the above categories. What research is able to recommend is utilizing skilled PT or personal trainers to address specific training on an individual level. Note, the only category that researchers were able to draw positive conclusions was concerning the connection between history of previous injury increasing the likelihood of recurring injury. Better quality research is needed before drawing conclusions based on fact relating to the remaining categories listed above. If you are currently suffering from a running injury, the multidisciplinary team at Oahu Spine and Rehab can offer wonderful care. From personalized strengthening plans to pain relief, the team at OSR is ready to help care for you.
van der Worp, Maarten P, et al. “Injuries in Runners; a Systematic Review on Risk Factors and Sex Differences.” PloS One, Public Library of Science, 23 Feb. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4338213/.
