Running Injuries in Petaluma: Common Causes and How To Fix Them
Introduction
Running in Petaluma and surrounding Sonoma County is booming.
We're on the heels of the famed Boston Marathon, where dozens of runners from Sonoma County showed just how prominent the running culture is here.
With trail options ranging from the convenience of Helen Putnam to the expansiveness of Annadel and Lake Sonoma, to the pristine roads of West Petaluma and West County, there's no shortage of amazing options for runners to tack on miles.
And with the Spring weather showing up early this year in Petaluma, you can see it all around.
Runners are shaking off the dust from their shoes, lacing up, and taking to the streets in droves.
As is the case each year, more runners means one thing:
More injuries.
We'll dive into the most common running injuries we see at BaseCamp Performance Collective, along with the reasons behind these injuries, the mistakes runners make, and how runners can overcome these injuries.
The Most Common Running Injuries in Petaluma
Running brings with it very predictable injuries. The following outline the 5 most common injuries we see at our clinic in Petaluma each year.
Runner's Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)
The famed runner's injury - pain around the kneecap. This can present as pain during or after runs, but often is worse with any elevation changes - especially downhill sections. While the location of the pain can vary - behind the kneecap, at the base of it, or even above it - the symptoms typically increase as mileage is increased.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis presents as pain in the heel or middle of the foot. It's most common to experience this pain when taking the first few steps out of bed in the morning, or in the first steps after sitting for prolonged periods of time. This pain typically feels better once the runner gets moving, creating a difficult feedback loop.
Achilles Tendinopathy
Pain at the base of the calf or the back of the heel is typically related to an injury of the achilles tendon. While it is rare for runners to experience an achilles rupture or tear, tendinitis or tendinopathy is incredibly common for runners. As with plantar fasciitis, symptoms typically decrease as the runner gets 'warmed up', leading to a feedback loop creating more irritation and pain.
Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)
Shin splints is a catch-all term for over-stressing the muscles and bones of the lower leg. This can present in pain along the front of the shin, the inside of the shin, or even around the front or inside of the ankle and foot. When ignored, shin splints can worsen to a stress fracture of the bone - requiring weeks or even months off of running.
IT Band Syndrome
The IT band is a fibrous band of connective tissue on the outside of the knee. This 'syndrome' encompasses pain in the outside of the knee or thigh, with a similar set of provoking factors as runner's knee - namely, downhill running. This pain typically worsens with increased mileage.
Why These Injuries Happen (For Local Runners)
As you can see from the list above, the addition of elevation is a complicating factor for many running injuries. While we all love the beautiful rolling hills of Petaluma and Sonoma County, they can present added stressors for the runners around this area.
Our famed Clo-Cow Half-Marathon leaves a lasting impression on runners from near and far proving this point.
There's more than just elevation profiles to consider here though.
Runners are notorious for increasing their mileage too quickly. There's often a race they are training for, creating a deadline to hit a specific mileage target. As a result, the stress placed on the body increases too quickly, leading to too much stress at one of the above locations in the body.
Runners are also notorious for neglecting strength training. The conventional thought is that they get enough strength training of their legs through pounding the pavement or hitting the trails. This is flawed logic, at best.
Running creates stress at a few specific areas of the body, but when the muscles stabilizing the hips, knees, and spine are not addressed through cross-training, the runner becomes vulnerable to the above injuries.
Poor recovery strategies, including a lack of appropriate warm-up, cool-down, and mobility work, also create opportunity for injury. Especially when a runner has dealt with any of the above injuries in the past, a lack of recovery or specific strength-training will often create the opportunity for re-injury.
This often leaves runners frustrated and exasperated, leading to them dropping out of races or simply training through the pain.
The key here isn't rest - it's that they are underprepared for the demands they are placing on their body. The appropriate response is to address these limitations, allowing them less risk for injury and even the opportunity for improved performance.
If you're dealing with pain and need to talk to someone, we offer free calls with expert clinicians from our team. This helps give you an idea of what the best steps are to address your injury.
Common Mistakes Runners Make
This is the fun section! We hear the same mistakes from nearly every runner who shows up in our office.
They rest. They stretch. They run through the pain. They change their shoes. And when all of that doesn't work, they head to the most trusted source out there - Dr. Google.
This leads them right back to the biggest mistake of all - returning to running without addressing the root cause of their injury.
It's a difficult cycle to be in, and sadly, ends up cutting short the running career of many who love the sport.
But, without guidance from a trained expert, it's very difficult to avoid re-injury when returning to running.
If you're stuck in this cycle, you're not alone. This is exactly what we help runners solve every day in Petaluma. A quick conversation can help you understand what's actually going on and what your next step should be.
How Performance Rehabilitation Solves the Problem
While conventional healthcare simply recommends that the runner rest, performance rehabilitation identifies the root cause of the runner's problem and provides targeted therapies to address it, through injury rehab programs.
The reason for this is that traditional healthcare aims to treat symptoms, rather than the underlying source of the problem.
Diagnosing runner's knee is a very simple thing to do. Treating it, however, is an art that is perfected over time.
The performance physical therapist looks for strength deficits, mobility deficits, movement patterns, running gait, and load tolerance to identify what the root cause of the injury is.
The key to ensuring a healthy return to running is in then addressing this root cause while adding in progressive loading.
This ensures the same mistake that brought the runner in - increasing mileage too quickly - isn't repeated in the return to running. By systematically increasing the loading, the performance physical therapist helps the runner prepare their body for the stresses of running, allowing them to become more resilient through a comprehensive return to running progression.
This tees up the runner to become more efficient, more resilient, and often a faster runner as a result.
How BaseCamp Performance Co. Treats Running Injuries
The runners from Petaluma and Sonoma County are our #1 most-seen population at BaseCamp Performance Co. Which means we have a lot of experience in how we approach their rehabilitation.
Our process begins with a Discovery Call. This is where we identify the external factors that are important for the runner's care:
- Do they have an upcoming race they're training for?
- How quickly did they ramp up mileage?
- What does their cross-training look like?
- Is this a first-time injury or a recurring pattern?
These answers help us to identify the urgency of their care, while also painting a picture of what we'll need to address and examine. They also help us to determine the best provider on our team for that runner - whether it be with one of our performance physical therapists, a sports rehab chiropractor, or our strength & conditioning coaches.
Next up is an in-depth examination where we dive into the all of the potential root causes of that runner's injury. We look at strength, mobility, coordination, movement patterns, running gait, training schedules, and more.
We take objective data with our Force Plates and use dynamometry to measure the runner's force production and absorption capabilities, as well as to measure any asymmetry present in their body. This information informs us of each runner's preparedness for the demands of running, along with highlighting the areas needed for input during the rehabilitation plan.
The result of this comprehensive evaluation is a comprehensive plan: one that will help the runner return to pain-free running, while ensuring they are more efficient and more prepared for their upcoming goals.
From this point forward, the real work begins.
During each session, we address the asymmetries and inefficiencies identified in the initial session. This is done through the use of hands-on manual therapies, strength training, and drills to improve coordination and running efficiency.
Week by week, we systematically tweak the program to ensure the runner is making sustained progress and building more resilience. In circumstances where we reintroduce running, we monitor workload to ensure that the runner isn't progressing too quickly.
Many of our runners continue on to working with our strength & conditioning coach through our performance training programs, where they further build strength and resilience. This step is critical for those runners looking to improve their performance, improve their times, or stay pain-free over the long haul.
While each runner's program and rehabilitation journey will look different, the end goal is the same:
Pain-free, long-term performance.
When Should You Seek Professional Help?
Assistance from a professional should be sought when:
- You've been experiencing pain lasting 7+ days.
- You have pain that specifically worsens during a run (or increases after a run, as mentioned above with Achilles Tendinopathy or Plantar Fasciitis).
- You have episodes of the same injury or pain.
- You've tried rest, but symptoms either return or don't improve.
- You're in a training block for a race, and time is of the essence.
The reality here is that the sooner you address the issue, the sooner it is likely to resolve.
Frequently Asked Questions by Petaluma Runners
What is the most common running injury?
The most common running injury we see in our patients is Runner's Knee, also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome. The repetitive stress of running places a high degree of strain about the knee, leading to it's routine injury.
Should I run through pain?
Running will often lead to some discomfort. Generally, if the pain has only happened on one run, and isn't severe (less than 2-3/10 on a pain scale), then it's OK to proceed. If the pain has occurred for more than 1 run, or is more than a 3/10, or is associated with a recurring injury, then the answer is no.
How long does a running injury take to heal?
The time to overcome an injury is largely dependent on the severity and duration of the injury. Injuries that are less severe and have happened recently are likely to take a few weeks. Injuries that are more severe, or have been ongoing for over 1 month can take up to several months to fully recover.
When should I see a professional?
When the pain is over a 3/10, has occurred for multiple runs, or is associated with a previous injury, it's time to seek out further assistance. A professional's guidance can help take an injury that may last for months, and shorten it to several weeks. The sooner you're able to get help, the sooner you'll be back to running pain-free.
From Rehab to Performance (Long-Term Solutions)
As you can see from this article, runners need effective recovery and training to ensure they avoid the injury bug. Checking these boxes helps ensure that runners can tolerate the higher mileage demands of a training block, while also building the foundation needed to run for life.
Performance rehabilitation is critical for injury prevention and returning to running successfully, but long-term success comes from following a structured program to train for life. Remember though - the biggest mistake runners make is in not addressing the root cause of their injury.
Without a long-term program to continue to address this root cause, it is likely that the runner will end up injured again.
For this reason, it is highly recommended that runners add in strength training and mobility focused specifically on their deficits. This approach, especially over time, separates those who continue to be durable from those who are routinely hampered by injury or pain.
The real goal here for each runner should be in creating an environment where they can train sustainably, so that they can continue to show up to races year in and year out.
Conclusion
Runners need specialized care from professionals who understand the unique demands of the sport. When rest isn't an option, or isn't making improvement, a generalized rehab specialist isn't sufficient. The rehab process should be geared addressing the root cause of the issue, rather than simply managing symptoms.
Because running is typically a life-long sport, a life-long approach is needed for ensuring durability and long-term performance and enjoyment. Adding in cross-training, specifically through strength training and mobility work, is critical to long-term success. As with anything, a personalized approach will be better suited to help the runner succeed over the long-term, rather than a generalized program found on the internet.
If you're a runner dealing with an injury in Petaluma or Sonoma County, don't wait until the issue gets worse to address it. Signing up for a call with our team gives you the opportunity to ask any questions you have, as well as to see who can help you get back to running pain-free. Our Discovery Calls are 30-minutes long, and entirely free, meaning zero risk. Even better, if we aren't the right fit for your needs, we'll recommend you to the best practice in the area to help you out.