This is a guest post written by OrthoNebraska. You can learn more about OrthoNebraska and their Optimum Stride program here.
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OrthoNebraska offers free community screenings. Keep improving with advanced exercises, stride evaluation, flexibility screening, and orthotic assessment.
Discomfort Vs. Injury
There is a fine line between running in discomfort (that is most of us!) and running with a potential or actual injury.
Expect some “normal” discomfort:
When we start any kind of training program, especially after a “hiatus” of several weeks or months, we are bound to run into some level of discomfort. Depending on our initial fitness level we can expect initial bouts of muscle soreness and perhaps more shin pain. All, generally speaking, is normal and something we need time and continued training to work through to improve our muscle strength and overall fitness and endurance.
Train through any kind of pain – no!!
That said – there is a difference between “normal” pain and discomfort, and a level that begins to cross over into the potential of a running injury. The challenge is in understanding where that line begins and ends. It’s not always clear cut, nor is it the same for any of us. However, when the pains seems to continue run after run, week after week, it’s time to start to list to what your body is telling you!
Potential signs that you are heading towards an injury:
- when the pain seems to localize to a given spot
- the pain doesn’t go away after a couple of days
- the pain starts to really impact how your run, meaning your form or stride is distorted
- the pain continues despite rest and/or decreased training
An important point to remember: none of the signs above necessarily mean you are injured. It does mean you need to listen to your body and make some adjustments early on so you can avoid a full-blown injury.
Feel free to contact any of the Optimum Stride therapists with any further questions at Optimumstride@orthonebraska.com or call 402-609-1750 to schedule a free running evaluation.