IT Band Syndrome
What: Pain on the outside of knee that comes on 5-7 minutes into your run and gets worse. No swelling and the pain is upper outside of your knee
Fix: Cross train, ice, reduce running, anti-inflammatory, a cortisone shot. Roll out IT band (not the area where the pain is). Change to stability shoes with insoles.
Prevention: Roll out IT band and butt muscles. Strengthen your butt. Shorten stride/increase cadence… midfoot running and jump squats.
Plantar Fasciitis
What: Pain in heal (usually inside of front heal, sometimes mid heal). Pain is worse in the morning when you get out of bed.
Fix: Cross train, ice, reduce or stop running, anti-inflammatory, boot to sleep, cortisone shot and PRP (platelet rich plasma). Roll calf, soleus, and arch of your foot. Change to stability shoes with insoles.
Prevention: Roll calf and soleus muscle (lower calf) muscles, barefoot running, shorten stride/increase cadence… midfoot running. Barefoot running.
Shin Splints
What: Achy pain in the inside of your shins (medial tibia), hurts when pressed from mid to bottom of your shin. Front pain (tibia spine) more serious or ECS (external compartmental syndrome-very rare) pressure builds up in the muscle and not bone. Usually hurts only when you run. Pain is in the outside top under your knee or behind.
Fix: Cross train, ice, reduce or stop running, anti-inflammatory. Change to stability shoes with insoles. Good posture, keeping hips straight. Roll calf muscles.
Prevention: Heal walk, jump squats, toe taps. toe alphabets, toe taps, roll calf muscles, barefoot running, shorten stride/increase cadence… midfoot running. Take calcium and Vitamin D rich food and/or supplements. For ECS, roll the area along with above and wrap to release pressure in the area.
Runner’s Knee
What: Pain under your kneecap or just below your kneecap. Goes away after a good warm up.
Fix: Ice, reduce running, anti-inflammatory. Roll out quad and IT band. Change to stability shoes with insoles
Prevention: Roll out IT band and quad muscles. Shorten stride/increase cadence… mid foot running and jump squats.