How do you know if you have a marathon running injury?
Blog | April 24, 2017
By Dr Courtney Kipps
How did you do in the marathon? Did you beat your predicted time?
How do you feel now? If you have sore legs, perhaps you are limping a bit or you’re hobbling down the stairs, you can rest assured that you’re in the same boat as most of the other runners. These post-marathon symptoms are common and you can expect them to improve within a day or two. But how do you know if you have a injury?
The vast majority of running aches and pains will settle with a few days rest and TLC, but there are a few scenarios where it pays to get your injury checked out by running injury specialist. Key pointers to the presence of an ongoing injury are: a persistent pain despite rest; a pain that seems to be getting worse; a pain with impact on running (or even pain with walking); a pain which wakes you at night or is worse when you get out of bed; or a pain associated with swelling or bruising. These symptoms are highly suggestive of an underlying injury and warrant a formal assessment by a sports-minded health professional. Occasionally you will need x-rays or a scan and for a while you may need to rest or protect your injury. The key point is that an accurate diagnosis will allow a more thorough and tailored rehab program to allow you to return to running pain-free as soon as possible.
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How did you do in the marathon? Did you beat your predicted time?
How do you feel now? If you have sore legs, perhaps you are limping a bit or you’re hobbling down the stairs, you can rest assured that you’re in the same boat as most of the other runners. These post-marathon symptoms are common and you can expect them to improve within a day or two. But how do you know if you have a injury?
The vast majority of running aches and pains will settle with a few days rest and TLC, but there are a few scenarios where it pays to get your injury checked out by running injury specialist. Key pointers to the presence of an ongoing injury are: a persistent pain despite rest; a pain that seems to be getting worse; a pain with impact on running (or even pain with walking); a pain which wakes you at night or is worse when you get out of bed; or a pain associated with swelling or bruising. These symptoms are highly suggestive of an underlying injury and warrant a formal assessment by a sports-minded health professional. Occasionally you will need x-rays or a scan and for a while you may need to rest or protect your injury. The key point is that an accurate diagnosis will allow a more thorough and tailored rehab program to allow you to return to running pain-free as soon as possible.