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Running injuries that crop up during marathon training are a real bummer!
Here’s part two of our Q and A with physical therapy doctor Ben Shatto.
In this episode you will hear about injury recurrence, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, ITBS and more. My favorite quote from this episode is, “Injury is never normal”. Continue Reading →
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Running injuries! In this episode we invite Dr. Ben Shatto on the podcast and fire away with injury related questions sent in by Academy members.
You will learn when to self-treat an injury versus visiting a physical therapist, how to pick a PT, and great questions and answers about glutes, hamstrings, and muscle imbalances. Lots to love! Continue Reading →
Imagine how much the average person actually slouches during a day.
Slouching during breakfast, then hunched over the kitchen sink to wash dishes, slouching while driving a car, and then slouching while sitting at work or at a school desk.
Don’t forget about slouching while texting, watching TV or using the computer. When you are not slouching, you’re bending over to clean or pick up children and/or pets. The list of slouching possibilities is endless!
Now envision your running posture. Does it look any different? Many of us run in a forward head and rounded shoulders position–a slouched posture! Runners experience many of the same aches and pains as their sedentary counter parts. Upper back and neck pain is a common occurrence. The most typical cause is almost always poor posture. Continue Reading →
A pool accident sidelined Jill Becker as she transitioned from high school to college running. She’s fought back with patience and perseverance, and now runs faster and longer than before.
By Henry Howard
Jill Becker found her passion — running — when she joined the middle school track team. Later, she excelled on the high school cross-country and track teams.
“First off, I love to run,” she says. “I love the feeling. The ups and downs. The runner’s high, the accomplishment, the health benefits, the challenge, being a motivator, my idea time, my focus time, and it’s part of my routine. I enjoy challenging myself, pushing my limits, and the process of being the best I can be!”
A freak accident before Becker started college gave her the challenge of a lifetime. Continue Reading →
The most common cause of pain along the inside (medial) portion of your ankle when running may also be associated with the most common reason for adult acquired flatfoot.
It’s likely something most of us haven’t ever heard of before. Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD), also known as posterior tibial tendon syndrome or tibialis posterior syndrome, can develop into a tibialis posterior tendon insufficiency which causes a fallen arch. Continue Reading →
Here’s a free digital resource Angie created with a list of eight essential and cost effective items every runner needs to prevent and treat running injuries.
They are basically handy dandy items we keep at home and bring with us when we travel to marathons. Every runner needs to have them, and thankfully, they are simple and inexpensive.
In order to get a copy of The Runner’s Toolbox guide all we need is your name and email and we’ll send it right over. We’ll also keep you informed about the best injury prevent strategies and practices. –>Yes! Send it.
These are not my feet, btw.
My injury became the inspiration behind The Marathon That Got Away.
Thankfully my tendon hasn’t bothered me for the last two weeks and I’m ready to slowly ease back into running.
I’m thankful to Angie (my wife) and my physical therapist friend Dr. Ben Shatto for helping me diagnose and deal with this injury before it got serious.
Here’s what I’ve been doing Continue Reading →
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If you’ve been running for a while you may have faced the disappointment of having to miss a race due to injury or illness.
You may have been fighting injury over a long period of time and came to the realization that the race wasn’t going to be a good idea. Or you may have had an injury or illness that came out of nowhere.
In either case, it’s very hard to know when to skip or DNS (did not start) a race and deal with the disappointment of not being able to do something you’ve been training for and looking forward to.
Trevor faced this recently with what would have been marathon #10 at the Tupelo Marathon. A couple weeks before the race he started experiencing Achilles soreness, a lump, redness and discomfort.
This got progressively worse until he was feeling discomfort with every step. This is annoying for a 4 mile run but potentially dangerous during a marathon. Continue Reading →
The term shin splints, also known as an anterior compartment syndrome, refers to pain along the shinbone (tibia), the large bone in the front of your lower leg.
Shin splints can be excruciatingly painful to the point that you may struggle to walk or run. They are typically caused by inflammation in the anterior muscle of the lower leg known as the anterior tibialis muscle.
This is the primary muscle needed to lift your foot. Shin splints are often considered an over use injury and unfortunately, are relatively common in runners.
Discover the common causes for shin splints and implement these strategies to prevent and self-treat shin splints. Continue Reading →
Dr. Ben uses a lacrosse ball to work the tissue above the patella.
As part of a quick and thorough method of treatment, first address the biomechanical causes for the pain. Then utilize the following strategies to quickly recover from the pain in order to keep training and running at a high level. Continue Reading →
Achilles tendinitis tends to affect runners more than any other group or athletic population. There is typically a high correlation to the amount of activity and volume performed in relation to biomechanical abnormalities and training errors which lead to Achilles tendinitis or tendinopathy.
The Achilles serves as the conjoined tendon for both calf muscles, the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Achilles tendinitis (also called tendonitis) is a serious condition for any athlete as it typically means a significant reduction in training volumes and modification to training routines. A complete stopping of sporting activities may be necessary in severe cases.
Learn the potential causative factors for Achilles tendinitis and how to self-treat this condition so you don’t lose too much time with your training. Continue Reading →
Muscle cramping and spasming can significantly derail your best intentioned race plans.
A muscle cramp or spasm is a sudden, involuntary, and typically severe muscle contraction.
Thankfully, it’s very rare for a muscle spasm or cramp to permanently damage the muscle. However, the cramp or spasm can produce mild to excruciating pain. The pain can be very short lived or linger for days after a severe episode.
Unfortunately, muscle cramping can affect your performance. Common causes of muscle cramping include overexertion, prolonged immobility, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances. Continue Reading →
