Prevention of Running Injuries

1. Prevention of Running Injuries « Everything you must forget!»

2. Do you still believe in these principles? The following is a summary of a conference that Blaise Dubois gave 10 years ago… and refutes today! If you still believe in these concepts and you would like to know why they are no longer appropriate, you can join us for a three day post-graduate course for health professionals in your region.

3. Warm-up • Jogging (5 to 20 minutes for warm-up) • Static stretching • Ballistic stretching • Interval training • Jogging (5 to 15 minutes for cool-down) • Static stretching Blaise Dubois - 1999

4. Ideal Running Gait • Standing straight and tall with relaxed shoulders and elbows at 90˚ • Strike with heel and roll towards the forefoot then push off with the first toe • Minimal pronation (controlled by the shoes and/or plantar orthoses) • Stride not too long nor too short Blaise Dubois - 1999

5. Training Periodisation In order to prevent injuries, it is essential to rest appropriately : • One to two days of rest every week • One week of low workout load every month • Three to six weeks of complete rest annually Blaise Dubois - 1999

6. Impact = Stress = Injuries • A mass that hits a surface produces a force of impact proportional to the runner’s weight • This impact force is decreased by running shoes • A cushioning shoe will decrease the amount of stress on the body and therefore reduce the overall risk of injuries and especially arthroses of the knees Force of Impact = Mass x Acceleration (60 tons of impact force/km of running!!!) Blaise Dubois - 1999

7. Pronation Is a combination of eversion, abduction and dorsiflexion of the foot (The “collapse” of the foot upon weight bearing) • Pronation is considered normal at +/- 16˚ • A “pronator” refers to a foot that “overpronates” • A “supinator” refers to a foot that “underpronates” Blaise Dubois - 1999

8. Pronation Overpronation has many negative effects on the biomechanics of the lower extremity. • “Collapsing” foot, dynamic valgus at the knee, hip adduction... Consequently, overpronation is the cause of many “biomechanical” pathologies • Plantar fasciapathy, Achilles tendonopathy, medial tibial stress syndrome, patello-femoral syndrome, ilio-tibial band syndrome... Blaise Dubois - 1999

9. Changing Running Shoes The choice of a running shoe should be made according to foot type TypePronator (55%) Neutral (40%) Supinator (5%) Needs Stability ++ Comfort  Flexibility  Arch support  Cushioning + Cushioning ++ Characteristics Last : Straight  Semi-curved last  Curved last  Thin heel  Cushioning +  Cushioning + + Solid heel  Solid heel  Flexible counter ++ counter  Neutral  Antipronator  Neutral Blaise Dubois - 1999

10. Plantar Orthoses Plantar orthoses are conceived to correct “abnormal” biomechanics in order to prevent or treat a musculoskeletal pathology of the lower extremity Pathologies    Orthoses   Biomechanics  Blaise Dubois - 1999

11. Tendonitis The treatment of chronic tendonitis in a runner can be summarized by: • NSAIDs (7 to 10 days) + Ice • Complete rest or reduced training volume • Transverse frictions and manual therapy to treat stiffness • Tendon stretching • High quality specialized cushioned running shoes Blaise Dubois - 1999

12. Hydration • It is important to drink at least 2 litres of water every day • If a runner is confused at the end of a marathon, it is essential to quickly give him/her some water since he/she is certainly dehydrated Blaise Dubois - 1999

13. Do you still believe in these principles? To host the three day course, entitled “New Trends in the Prevention of Running Injuries” in your region, you simply need to visit the “Courses & Conferences - Host a Course” section on our website. http://www.therunningclinic.ca/en/courses-conferences/host-a-course.php