Running in the ice can be such a pain in the....

I've heard from several area runners and patients who ran in the ice yesterday morning. Yikes! They made it safely through the run, but are complaining of pain in a knee or in a hip. There is a reason for this...

Adjusting your stride to avoid ice patches, adjusting footing on slippery surfaces and pushing off of an unstable surface is not something you do everyday. Combine that with the repetition of a long distance run (high repetition) and you will suffer overworked muscles and possible acute trauma to the tissues (muscles, ligaments, nerves, tendons). This starts the inflammation cycle and leads to pain and adhesions. If you don't break this cycle you can end up with a chronic injury.

To interrupt this cycle, here is what you need to do: 

• REST from painful activity (take at least 2-3 days off of running) and when you return to running, go slow and for a short distance. 
• ICE in the first 12 hours and switch to MOIST HEAT for the next few days. 
• FOAM ROLL the area
• GENTLEY STRETCH the area 
• MOVE the area within a painfree range - this is so important. Rest does not mean to do nothing. Pain should be kept at a 3/10 or below. 

If you do not begin to feel improvement with the above steps within 48 hours e-mail Coach Amy at Sport+Spine. You may need some physical therapy to help you over the hump and prevent a long term problem that could take you out of the rest of the season.