Key Points
- Trail running is gaining popularity in Singapore.
- The most commonly injured areas of the body during trail running are the foot, ankle, knee, and hip/groin area.
- Physiotherapy can help with identifying areas which are deficient, and hence, prescribe the necessary exercises to reduce the risk of injuries.
What is trail running
Trail running is an outdoor sport in which runners contend in a natural environment with off-road terrains such as mountains, deserts, forests, or plains with substantial elevation changes, and varying running distances from a few kilometres to ultramarathons that span over multiple days.
Injuries in trail running
Based on the living systematic review of trail running injury risk factors, the following associated risk factors were identified to put individuals at a higher risk of injuries in trail running:
- Running experience of 6 years or more
- Being a level A runner
- Classified based on an algorithm that categorises runners based on their gender, age, previous races’ difficulty, and running performance
- Level A is the highest classification
- Scoring higher on a Sports Accident Questionnaire (PAD-22)
- Neglecting warm-up before a run
- Running without a planned training programme
- Training on asphalt more than mountainous terrains or tartan surfaces i.e. a stadium or running track
- Training twice in a day
- Having an occupation that requires physical labour
Along with associated risk factors, the body regions most commonly reported for trail running injuries are the foot, ankle, knee, and hip/groin area.
Can Physiotherapy reduce injuries in trail running?
If you find yourself having pains from your usual trail runs, fear not, Physiotherapy can help! Physiotherapy aims to understand and address the root cause of your pain, and work together with you to curate an individualised exercise programme based on what is essential. Through a journey of strengthening and education, Physiotherapy aims to get you back on your runs! An overview of a rehabilitation programme with Physiotherapy includes recovery, rebuilding your strength, and finally, returning to your sport.
Injury prevention for trail running
Some of the most common injuries from trail running are patellofemoral pain syndrome i.e. pain in the front of your knee, muscle strains in the quadriceps, hamstrings, shin, calves, or lower back, ankle sprains, and stress fractures, all of which can be addressed with Physiotherapy.
These injuries happen commonly due to the heavy exertion required on trail runs. With the constant change in running ground, active avoidance of obstacles, and adjustment to elevations in terrain, it is necessary to constantly pay attention to your surroundings while maintaining good running posture. Therefore, a training programme that includes stability, muscle strength, and reaction time is important as well.
Some exercises that you can consider doing at home to strengthen your muscles and prevent common trail running injuries are:
Risk mitigation for trail running
Over the rocky and uneven terrains, the chances of falling or tripping while on a run is high. It is therefore important that your training includes exercises that work on eye-foot coordination and muscle strengthening. As part of your journey in getting back to sport, one of the most important factors is making sure you do not re-injure yourself! As such, one of the main objectives during Physiotherapy is to work on exercises that can better equip your body to handle trail runs!
On top of that, having a training schedule, and diligently doing your warm-ups are also great risk mitigations to avoid an injury! Planning your runs and strength training programmes are a great way to keep track of your trail running progress and pinpoint specific areas of your running programme that need to be worked on. Warm-ups are also important as they mentally and physically prepare you before your trail runs!
*DISCLAIMER*: These advice and exercises should not replace the need for a consultation with a Physiotherapist especially if your condition doesn’t improve. Therapeutic exercise should be carefully selected to suit your condition.
Book now or give us a call to schedule an appointment to see our Physiotherapist who will be able to partner you on preventing injuries so you can continue doing the sports you love!
Ref:
Vincent, H., Brownstein, M., & Vincent, K. (2022). Injury Prevention, Safe Training Techniques, Rehabilitation, and Return to Sport in Trail Runners. Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, And Rehabilitation, 4(1), e151-e162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asmr.2021.09.032
Viljoen, C., Janse van Rensburg, D., van Mechelen, W., Verhagen, E., Silva, B., & Scheer, V. et al. (2022). Trail running injury risk factors: a living systematic review. British Journal Of Sports Medicine, 56(10), 577-587. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-104858
