Running with an Injury or Over Training

Injuries can affect us all regardless of age, sex, fitness or ability, but we can manage or limit the number of times we get injured; and we can do this by going back to basics. A topic which has been written about numerous times, but we are not talking about strength levels, stretching or core stability, we mean back to your basic biomechanics.

By regularly assessing your biomechanics you can help eliminate and prevent many injuries and problems. One of the fundamental causes of injury is the body compensating for weak biomechanical links in your kinetic chain which can cause unaccustomed load that in turn result in pain and injury.

Example:
Calf injuries are common in sports people and are caused by a number of different issues. Flat feet, high arches, tight calves, poor preparation and previous injury to the calves or associated joints are all typically considered when trying to prevent calf injuries. One commonly overlooked, but very relevant cause is a tight sciatic nerve.

If the sciatic nerve is tight or not moving freely within the structures that surround it, then the muscles in the area of stiffness provide the nerve with protective spasm during locomotion. In other words they contract to minimise the pressure on the nerve while you move at high speeds. If the nerve is loaded or stretched too much, the muscles can spasm enough to cause themselves to tear or cramp up - which can feel like a tear. The stiffness in the nerve may well be near the point where the nerve runs through the calf muscle, and so that can be why you have the injury in the calf.

To check to see if your calf injuries are related to your sciatic nerve, try this test:

Test
Lay on your back and get a team mate to lift your leg straight up. Tell them to stop when you start to feel a tension or stretch in your leg. Notice where this tension is felt. You can feel it in the hamstring area, but could be anywhere below the knee, or indeed in your buttock or back. If you feel it anywhere outside your hamstring area, the stretch you feel may be nerve related. In this example the stretch may be in the calf, which might indicate that the nerve is tightest there and can be causing the calf injuries.



Then slowly ask them to move you leg across the midline of the body, in other words move the leg so it is above your other leg. Do not allow your leg lower at all when you do this. If the stiffness increases, and especially if the tension is felt into your calf, then there is likely to be a nerve element to your calf damage.

A problem with your sciatic nerve may also indicate you have problems with your back that you are unaware of, in which case, it may be worth seeing a specialist sports health professional to get them to check it out for you.

If during all this your stretch is felt in your hamstring, then it is unlikely you have a nerve related issue. If at any time you feel tingling or numbness in your leg (especially your lower leg), then chances are your tight sciatic nerve is implicated in your calf problems.

If this is the case then you can gently mobilise the nerve to reduce its impact on the surrounding muscles. A simple exercise called a slump can help.

Exercise
Sit on a table where your legs can hang freely without touching the floor. Slouch down with your head down and your chin touching your chest. Note at this point if you have any feeling of tension or stretching.

Then slowly straighten your leg. As soon as you get to the point of light tension or a gentle stretch, slowly lower your leg again. Build up gradually to repeating 15 x 3 sets, once or twice per day.
Please note that if at ay time you feel tingling or pins and needles, you are taking the leg too straight, so reduce the range – ‘more is not better’!

There are a number of other biomechanical issues, like tight nerves, that can cause injury and also compromise performance. At Mobilis Performance we have created a series of courses that teach sports coaches, personal trainers, physios, osteopaths, chiropractors and sports therapists, tests like this to use when working with your players/athletes/clients. For more information, visit the Mobilis Performance website.