The prime cause of overuse injuries is an excessive increase in training load, imperfect/imbalanced biomechanics or a combination of the two. In this section, you’ll information on how to diagnose and prevent overuse injuries by attending to the underlying causes.
Is it ever safe to ‘work through’ the pain of an injury and if so, when? Trevor Langford provides the answers MORE
This article explores the relationship between high training volumes and running injury explaining why some adaptations take longer than others, and the implications for skeletal health. It also provides practical advice on form, technique and recovery for minimising injury risk MORE
Foot structure and injury rates Does the structure of your foot affect your injury rate? There’s been considerable confusion concerning the effects of foot structure on injury rates. Some researchers – and large numbers of people in the population at large – believe that individuals with low-arched feet have weak foot structures and are more... MORE
You may not appreciate it at the time, but an injury can teach you a lot about how your body works In this article I want to discuss the idea that an injury, if it is treated and acted on in the right way, can actually be a gift to a sportsperson. Some of you... MORE
The casual phrase ‘shin splints’ can really disguise a number of different complaints per week. Today, though, leg injuries are common in a variety of different sports. What shin splints are – or aren’t Here’ s a conversation I can still recall from my school days. A fellow miler from the track team approached me... MORE
Like most athletes, you undoubtedly want to lower your chances of incurring an injury while participating in your favourite sport. Injuries decrease the amount of time you can spend in leisure activities, lower your fitness, downgrade competitive performances, and can lead to long-term health problems such as arthritis and/or joint stiffness. But are there general... MORE
Veteran runner with shin pain A 42-year-old male runner came to the Sports Injury Centre; he presented with a one-year history of chronic anterior shin pain when running. He had managed his condition with relative rest and anti-inflammatory cream when acute, and usually returned to running within a few weeks, but was never pain-free. Over... MORE
One in ten of all sports injuries is a stress fracture. Here’s how to break the pattern. Stress fractures are partial or complete fractures of bone, often called fatigue fractures since they are caused by repetitive strain during sub-maximal activity. They result from the inability of the bone to react favourably to the stress imposed.... MORE
Treating and preventing hamstring and quadraceps injuries Phase 1: Muscle Balance The aim of phase 1 is to restore normal muscle length, range of motion and introduce postural awareness. The stretches outlined below are an indication of muscle stretches that are advised but do not have to be followed to the letter. Therefore if you... MORE
Taking a robust approach to running training There’s more to reducing the risk of sustaining a running injury than incorporating a couple of stretches and the odd weights session into your training routine. As Matt Lancaster explains, a structured approach to build ‘running robustness’ is a much better approach. Oscar Pistorius is able to run... MORE
