Running Injuries

No runner wants to be put in a walking boot or be told they need crutches. Yet, there are a few running injuries severe enough to warrant these precautions, and stress fractures, or what healthcare providers call bone stress injuries (BSIs) are one of them. Receiving a BSI diagnosis can feel devastating, especially if it happens during the beginning or middle of a season, when training for a big race, or after returning to running post-hiatus. Bone stress injuries occur when

Hip flexors are one of those things runners love to blame. Tight hips. Short strides. Low back pain. That nagging feeling that something just isn’t working right. And while hip flexors are rarely the only issue, they play a meaningful role in how we run and how problems can start to show up. The hip flexors are a group of muscles that help advance the leg during running. After your foot leaves the ground, they help bring the thigh forward so you can take your next step. They

Hip pain can sneak up on runners after miles of pounding the pavement, especially when they’re pushing mileage or intensity. Sometimes, it starts as a dull ache and becomes a sharp pain with hip flexion, uphill running, or sprinting. If this sounds familiar, hip impingement might be to blame. Also known as femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), hip impingement happens when there’s abnormal contact between the bones of the hip joint during movement. If left unchecked, hip impinge

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most frustrating injuries a runner can face. That sharp heel pain when you first get out of bed or during your run can stop your training in its tracks. The common advice? Wear good shoes and rest. But here’s the thing: while supportive footwear helps, what you really need are strong feet, solid balance, and a stable core. Strengthening the muscles that control your foot, ankle, and lower leg is key to preventing and recovering from plantar fas

Getting back to running after an injury isn’t just about being cleared—it’s about returning with a plan that reflects how your body heals. And this is where many runners go wrong. You don’t just jump back into your old mileage and hope for the best. Recovery isn’t linear, and it doesn’t end when pain goes away. Tissues heal on their own timelines, and without a strategy to rebuild strength, capacity, and control, the risk of reinjury skyrockets. Here’s what runners often get

Thirty-five might still feel young, but in the world of running, it marks an important milestone—you’ve officially become a masters runner! While it sounds like a fancy title, it simply reflects that your body is beginning to change in ways that affect how you train, recover, and stay injury-free. But don’t worry—this isn’t about slowing down. With smarter strategies, you can stay fast, fit, and injury-free for decades. Whether you’re male or female, understanding the nuances

Runners hear a lot of advice. I get to hear all about it in clinic every week. Some of it is helpful. A lot of it sounds right. And some of it sticks around long after it should. Most of the time the advice is meant to help and not hurt from training partners, friends, people who have been in your shoes (okay their shoes, but you know what I mean) BUT general advice doesn’t usually address what you have going on. It might feel like a good idea, but it might also make things

It’s a scenario most runners know well: you add miles to your long run, switch from treadmill to pavement, or start pushing paces and suddenly, something hurts. Sometimes the pain is a dull, nagging discomfort that fades as you warm up. Other times, it sharpens into a pinpoint spot in your shin that makes every step miserable. That’s when the questions start: Is this just shin splints, or is it something more serious—like a bone stress injury? Both conditions sit on the same

When a runner walks into the clinic with knee pain, we must look at the knee and the surrounding structures and tissues. What seems like a knee issue often started higher up—or lower down—the chain. And if you’re only chasing the pain, you’ll probably miss the real problem. Running injuries don’t come out of nowhere. They almost always stem from a combination of factors: a training change made 4–6 weeks ago, a sleep deficit, nutritional gaps, higher stress, or simply movement

Persistent discomfort along the outside of the ankle can be a real problem for runners, especially those who log high mileage on uneven terrain. This pain might be peroneal tendinopathy, an overuse injury involving the peroneal tendons, which are crucial for stabilizing the foot during running. Without proper management, peroneal tendinopathy can cause compensations in gait, increase the risk of other injuries, and keep you off the road longer than you’d like. What Are the Pe

Every runner has asked it: “Is this just normal soreness… or am I about to get injured?” It’s a fine line—and knowing how to read your body can be the difference between a breakthrough and a breakdown. Here’s the truth: pain doesn’t always mean stop—but it also doesn’t mean “keep grinding.” The key is knowing what type of pain you're dealing with, where it’s coming from, and how it behaves. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS): The “Good” Kind of Pain DOMS is that familiar mu

Ankle sprains are injuries runners commonly struggle with, and most runners don’t stop running, even when they should. I get it—you don’t want to lose your progress, miss you morning run with your friends or miss a training day. But ignoring an ankle sprain can lead to bigger problems down the road. When you sprain your ankle, the ligaments get overstretched or torn, and some research says that your glutes may even "shut down", making it harder to stabilize your lower body. T

Getting back to running after an injury isn't always easy. Being cleared to run is only the first part of the equation. Once you are cleared you must make sure your body is ready to accept the load, mentally you are ready and that you know how to progressively introduce the running stimulus! This is something I love to help runners with. Unfortunately most runners are so excited to get back to running they don't think about the how! You don’t just jump back into your old mil

If you have been told to "just stop running" because of an injury then you may have been given poor advice. Rest may calm symptoms, but it doesn’t solve your injury. Pain relief is simply a reduction in irritation, but it does not mean your tissues aren't ready to handle the demands of running. Some injuries do better if you continue to load them in a modified way, such as tendinopathies. You do have to stop running with a bone stress injury, but you can do things like core s

Photo by Alan Lam I love running. I hate telling people they can't run. Running is great exercise and it is so beneficial for both mental and physical health. But if you run long enough, chances are you will deal with pain or injury at some point. As a physical therapist who works with runners every day, these are the five most common questions runners ask about running injuries and answers that can help you to stay healthy and keep running. 1. "Why do my knees hurt when I ru

Sometimes the first few minutes of a run feel stiff or painful, but after a mile or two the discomfort settles down and the run actually feels better. What does this mean? As a running physical therapist working with runners in Atlanta, this is something I hear fairly often: “If the pain goes away during the run, is it okay to keep running?” In many cases, the answer is yes, but with the right modifications. It depends on the type of tissue involved and how the pain behaves d

Runners are really good at brushing off pain or discomfort and convincing themselves they are fine even when they are in pain. Its because as runners we are taught to push through things. That’s part of the sport. Long runs get uncomfortable. Workouts get hard. There are days where nothing feels great but you get it done anyway and that’s often where progress happens. remember the saying, "no pain, no gain?" But somewhere along the way, that mindset gets doesn't make sense an

In my PT clinics we always know when a big race is coming up because one or two weeks before race day the phone is ringing off the hook. Pain or small injuries that could be ignored when mileage was low start to get louder and more difficult to run through. Why does this happen? Training Fatigue Most of the time our clients try to pin point the one thing they did that caused the injury, but it is usually not from one single workout - it is overall training fatigue. During the