It's Within Your Control

By Chris Connor, DPT, Co-owner, Palmetto Physical Therapy

Have you ever wondered why some runners can run huge miles - pushing themselves week after week - yet never seem to get injured, while others seem to consistently battle one ailment after another? It's true that some people are just injury prone but,  from what I see on a regular basis, there are several controllable factors that cause most athletes to get injured more often.

• Past or Concurrent Injuries

Past injuries may contribute to a current injury. For example, an inadequately rehabilitated muscle tear leads to muscle imbalance and a subsequent overuse injury. Injuries in different parts of the body may seem unrelated, but that is often not the case. For example, a hamstring injury in a runner can impair the kinetic chain leading to the hip, altering running biomechanics in a way that contributes to a low back injury.

• Work and Leisure Activities

These play a role in both the cause and subsequent management of an injury. For example, a person with low back pain may have to cut back on certain leisure activities like golf and gardening.

• Training History

In any overuse injury, it may be necessary to look back at your training history and analyze both the quantity and quality of training and describe any recent changes. Note the total amount of training (distance or hours depending on the sport) and training surfaces. Continual activity on hard surfaces or recent change in surface may predispose to injury. For runners, pay particular attention to your running shoes. For both training and racing shoes, note the shoe type, age and the wear pattern. Also take note of recovery activities such as massage and hours of sleep.

• Equipment

Inappropriate equipment may predispose to injury. For example, a bicycle seat that is set too low may contribute to knee pain.

• Technique

Faulty technique may contribute to injury. It may be necessary to consult with an expert or coach to analyze your technique and to see if any changes need to be made. For example, an exaggerated backhand swing may contribute to extensor tendinopathy at the elbow.

• Overtraining

Symptoms such as excessive fatigue, recurrent illness, reduced motivation, persistent soreness and stiffness may indicate that overtraining is the cause of your injury.

• Psychological Factors

Injury can be caused or exacerbated by a number of psychological factors related to your sport, your personal life or your profession.

• Nutritional Factors

Inadequate nutrition can predispose an athlete to overtraining, and may play a role in the development of musculoskeletal injuries. If you are excessively tired, a full dietary evaluation may be helpful.

• Level of Commitment

Committing to an overly ambitious training schedule and/or racing schedule can be disastrous. Consulting with a coach may be a wise investment.

So, the next time you get injured, don't just assume it's due to bad genes or even bad luck. In most cases, injuries are caused by something that is within your control. Better yet, use this article as a guide to avoid injuries altogether!