Lian Yun-Perng, Physiotherapist
Apr 11, 20192 min
Updated: Apr 29, 2020
Azwan Bunjing (Athlete | Adidas Ambassador)
Muhaizar (National Athlete |Garmin Ambassador)
I have been seeing a few runners (Azwan Bunjing and Muhaizar) over the past months and I thought this would be a good chance for me to share about some common running injuries and how changing the number of steps you take can help you lower your risk of knee or achilles pain.
Medial tibial stress syndrome (Shin splints)
A condition that causes pain on the inside of the shin.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome (Runner’s knee)
It is a term used to describe pain around the patella or kneecap and in the front of the knee.
Hamstring strain
Hamstring is a group of three muscles that run along the back of your thigh. They allow you to bend your leg at the knee. During a hamstring strain, one or more of these muscles gets overloaded. The muscles might even start to tear.
Calf pain
Overstretching or tearing either of these 2 calf muscles is known as a calf strain. Normally, there is a sudden pain in your calf, and you may feel a pop, snap or tear.
Achilles tendinopathy
Achilles tendinopathy is a term that commonly refers to an inflammation of the Achilles tendon or its covering.
Plantar fasciitis (Heel pain)
It involves inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes (plantar fascia).
Solution?
Based on recent research, changing your cadence (steps you take per minute) to above 174 can help reduce the risk of shin splits, achilles tendinopathy or knee pain. When you increase your cadence, less load is placed on your knee joints and your achilles tendon. So, this can be one way to manage your knee pain or achilles tendinopathy. This is just a recommendation and it does not in any way replace any intervention.