I have run through a number of injuries.
I think the deciding factor on whether doing so is a good idea is whether the injury gets worse throughout the run. If it gets significantly worse as you go, you can’t run, period. If it hurts to run, but the pain doesn’t increase throughout the run and doesn’t increase on subsequent runs, it’s something you can grin and bear.
If it increases just a tad throughout the run, you have to consider taking time off or reducing your load a bit.
Some good reading on the topic:
https://www.irunfar.com/2018/01/pain-management-in-three-steps-mechanism-trajectory-and-action.html
Creaky Bones wrote:
I have run through a number of injuries.
I think the deciding factor on whether doing so is a good idea is whether the injury gets worse throughout the run. If it gets significantly worse as you go, you can’t run, period. If it hurts to run, but the pain doesn’t increase throughout the run and doesn’t increase on subsequent runs, it’s something you can grin and bear.
If it increases just a tad throughout the run, you have to consider taking time off or reducing your load a bit.
This is where I am. It doesn't hurt when I'm running, nor does it seem worse after. But then, sometimes I wonder if I have a higher threshold for the word 'hurt' than others. In any case it's swollen (some kind of fluid build up in there) and it's just not as strong as the other leg. No pop or bounce in it. I'm not doing any speedwork - just easy 2 miles every day or so. Dunno if I'm making it worse or whatever, but I'm too depressed to stop
darkwave wrote:
Some good reading on the topic:
https://www.irunfar.com/2013/01/navigating-the-pain-trail-concepts-of-pain-physiology-in-running-injuries.htmlhttps://www.irunfar.com/2013/02/navigating-the-pain-trail-tissue-sensitivity-defusing-the-threat.htmlhttps://www.irunfar.com/2018/01/pain-management-in-three-steps-mechanism-trajectory-and-action.html
fascinating articles, thank you.
darkwave wrote:
Some good reading on the topic:
https://www.irunfar.com/2013/01/navigating-the-pain-trail-concepts-of-pain-physiology-in-running-injuries.htmlhttps://www.irunfar.com/2013/02/navigating-the-pain-trail-tissue-sensitivity-defusing-the-threat.htmlhttps://www.irunfar.com/2018/01/pain-management-in-three-steps-mechanism-trajectory-and-action.html
so is it true that inflammation is sometimes the central nervous system freaking out about something that isnt really damaged tissue?
I have had ITBS before... I tried running through it but this just led to inconsistent training. My advice would be to strengthen your hips and core to try to help with any muscular imbalances. Taking some time off from running will help to reduce inflammation and lead to quicker healing.
Good luck!
So what should I do? here's my story: Ok so I haven't done anything for months as I was diagnosed with a tibia stress fracture in my left leg. The day I am released to run again my right ankle starts to hurt for no reason. I know I have not done anything because i tried to stay off my legs as much as possible because I had a stress fracture. So I decided to wait a couple days before I would start to run again but everyday it got worse and worse without doing anything and right now its a constant pain I can deal with. So I decided to just run and see how it felt and it didn't hurt to run but an hour after the run it starts hurting again and it is still constant pain that isn't to bad. Their is no swelling, their is no bruising, and it hurts my ankle in different places. Someday its my inner ankle, sometimes its my outer ankle, and sometimes its my achilles. I don't know what to do and it sucks because the doctor just told me I could run again. What would I even tell my doctor? That it just randomly started hurting for no reason. Please help.
I tried to 'just run through it' with every single one of my injuries, to date, including the one that has me sidelined [so far] for all of 2019 already.
With an appropriate week or 3 off completely if necessary with all the prior ones, eg the IT band struggle, a case of PF, a knee thing, and bursitis on one side of my hip that was so bad my first attempted jog around the block had me stop before I even got 3 houses down. After 3 weeks off or something I ran through that f*cker, too.
But achilles tendonosis [chronic] was the one I could not work through. Been injuring myself /microtears over the last several years. It got so bad it was impairing simple walking activities and I'm only now [after basically a year off] walking normally again. Running is still off limits as little half mile/max decline jogs post an elliptical session cause inflammation/limping the following day still.
Per the MRI, it was torn approx 50%. Good luck running through something like that [my doc says I was one quick move away from a complete tear, and banned me from bball/tennis this year as well..]
If running got you the injury, then continuing to run is stupid.
Even if it as simple as a broken arm, it can throw your body out of whack.
If its a leg thing, then rest is the best solution. Of course, you will never know that until you age.
Unless I was coming up for a once in a life time event - like the Olympics, I'd shelve it. X train elsewhere
I think it's a matter of degree and depends on the severity of the issue and the nature of the injury.
If it's a broken bone then yes, you need to stop running.
If it's tendinopathy, then you need to reduce the stress you are placing on the tendon, but no more than is necessary. And yes, that's a hard call.
The two biggest mistakes I've seen runners make with tendon issues are a) ignoring the pain and running through it; or b) shutting down things completely. Tendons don't heal, especially as you get older, unless you are placing some stress (aka "load") on them. The challenge is figuring how much load that is. And that's where it's really helpful to have a trusted PT to work with - basically your "injury coach."
I agree very much with darkwave! The key to dealing with many of my running injuries was not to stop and rest the injury, but to carefully evaluate it and adapt my workload to a level of effort/intensity from which my injured body parts could recover. Often this has meant introducing new strength workouts to work on things such as hips or glutes that may have been weak, or even dialing back on the running and doing more cross-training to compensate. I have developed a good relationship with my PT, and she has always recommended modifications to the way I do things rather than stopping and resting! So far that has worked well for me.
Pain is your body's way of saying something is wrong and if you ignore it it will just speak up. Your mind is saying, keep going, don't lose conditioning but your mind doesn't do the running, your body does. Ultimately what tends to happen is if the pain forces you to change your stride, then you are likely going to cause a compensation injury. Your body runs the way it does because of your height, weight, length of your bones, balance, strength of your muscles and ligaments and tendons, foot placement, etc. It is accustomed to the stresses that running the way do puts on it. Changing the way you run puts a whole different kinds of stress on it, stress that your body isn't accustomed to. Sort of like you running 80 mile weeks with no training, your body isn't accustomed to it and you can guess what happens to it.
Bump. If it doesn’t hurt can I run on it ?
bumping this weird thread because I'm too depressed not to run
Some injuries you can, some you can't.
I ran through a hamstring strain that hurt for 10 weeks. It healed.
I ran through stiff achilles. It's mostly better.
I tried running through a calf strain but couldn't do it. Each run started with a limp.
I tried running through shin splints but stopped when the pain got worse and worse.
I also tried running through groin pain. That didn't go away until I rested for 4 months.