How to Stop Lower Leg Pain when Running

Running is an awesome way to get fit and healthy. It can help you lose belly fat and improve your strength and stamina. But it's important to be careful because running can be tough on your body. This is because when you run, your feet hit the ground pretty hard. So, you need to be careful not to hurt yourself.

If you don't wear the right shoes or support your ankle properly, you might experience pain in your lower legs. This pain can be caused by muscle strain and can last for a while. To avoid such injuries, keep reading to understand why lower leg pain occurs and how you can prevent it.

Running's Most Common Causes

Many running injuries occur due to excessive use of the body. It is important for runners to respect their bodies and avoid increasing the intensity or distance too quickly without proper preparation. This can lead to injuries such as stress fractures in the lower legs. Therefore, it is essential to take proper precautions and gradually increase your running routine to prevent such injuries.

If you enjoy running, it's important to find a comfortable pace that you can maintain for different lengths of time throughout your workout. Also, it's important to take care of your body to avoid certain injuries, such as shin splints. Shin splints are a condition where you feel pain on either side of your lower leg due to overuse. We'll discuss ways to prevent this and other injuries so that you can enjoy running while keeping your body happy and healthy.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a common foot injury, especially among most affected runners. The plantar fascia is the ligament found under your foot, connecting your heel bone to your toes.

With plantar fasciitis, the ligament becomes inflamed and irritated because of sudden changes in running patterns, footwear, or improper stretching and strengthening of calf muscles. This syndrome is aggravated upon arising from a seated position due to the tightness of the calf muscles and Achilles tendon.

The pain is usually felt in the heel or midfoot and can be extremely annoying as it prevents one from being physically active. Most people at risk for this condition are those who increase their distances too quickly or run more often than usual, which increases their stress on the feet; however, other risk factors include flat feet, increasing age, lack of proper postural alignment (overpronation), tight calf muscles and high body weight.

Calf Strain

A strain in your calf may be caused by overuse or an abrupt movement. In some cases, you might have caught a muscle tendon that was out of place or rubbed against another bone. When the injury is mild, you will have pain and swelling in the top part of your leg.

Anyone with a severe injury may also experience redness, bruising, and severe pain when walking. Before doing something as strenuous as running, warm up properly before raising your heart rate and stretching regularly.

Stress Fracture

Stress fractures in the lower leg are hairline cracks that appear on bones due to the repetitive stress of your ankle hitting the ground. It could be a stress fracture if you're experiencing pain that increases over time but doesn't disappear with rest. This condition usually presents as swelling and bruising, similar to a sprain or break.

When you visit your doctor for this ailment, you will likely be ordered an x-ray to evaluate your ankle. If it is a fracture, treatment must be administered to ensure you don't suffer any permanent damage. Recovery can take anywhere between six to eight weeks or longer, depending on whether one decides to have surgery.

Shin Splints

Shin splints are a running-related injury that happens when you try picking up the intensity of your running too quickly and by running on hard surfaces. As a result, you'll feel pain and tenderness in your shins. It's important to remember that shin splints are not permanent, and the symptoms should improve significantly with rest and rehabilitation.

For runners to heal properly, it's recommended that they adjust their training regime by reducing the frequency and intensity of their workouts until the symptoms subside.

Achilles Tendonitis

The Achilles tendon runs from your heel to the back of your lower leg. Also called tendinopathy or tendonitis, Achilles tendonitis is a painful condition that affects runners and active people who run or walk a lot.

It can happen when you do too much or increase your activity level too quickly. The pain is worsened by activities that load the Achilles tendon, such as running, jumping, turning, and walking upstairs.

How to Improve Lower Leg Pain when Running

Once you have a firm diagnosis and treatment plan, you can start improving your lower leg pain. Here are our best tips to run pain-free.

Warm-Up

Warm your muscles with a Sacksythyme's Hot therapy relief Microwavable heating pad is the best way to avoid injury. Running in cold weather has been linked to muscle injuries.

 

Running shoes

Proper footwear is vital for reducing the runner's knee and shin splints. It may be best if you are fitted at a specialty running store; however, these stores can only be located if you live in a bigger city.

Cool Down

Remember to cool down after each run properly, and be sure to stretch your calf muscles to avoid injuring yourself.

Icing Sore Muscles

A Cold therapy pack over your sore muscles will not only feel great and look professional, but it'll reduce swelling and pain—cold therapy for 20 minutes after your run or whenever you feel soreness.

 

Strengthen Calf Muscles

Strengthening your muscles will help prevent injuries and strengthen your joints and can even be used as a form of physical therapy. It's also important to see a doctor or go for physical therapy beforehand, as it can sometimes aggravate existing conditions/injuries, especially if you start with strengthening without prior knowledge.

Cross Train

Cross-training with other workouts, such as swimming or biking, is meant to reduce the amount you run weekly to prevent overuse injuries. Swimming and biking are good exercises because they work for different muscle groups, reducing the chance of overuse in your legs and lower back.

Anti-inflammatory Medications

The medication will help to alleviate your lower leg pain. It won't relieve it immediately, but you could return to running once you are used to the medication's effects and side effects!

Here are some additional tips on how to stop lower leg pain when running:

• Increase your mileage gradually. Try to increase your mileage slowly, as this can increase your risk of injury. Begin by running short distances a few times a week, then gradually increase the length and frequency of your runs.
• Run on soft surfaces. Running on hard surfaces, such as concrete, can put more stress on your lower legs. Running on softer surfaces like grass or trails is recommended for a smoother experience.
• Stretch after your run. Stretching after your run can help to reduce muscle soreness and improve flexibility. Stretch your calves, shins, and hamstrings.
• Take rest days. Don't run every day. Give your body time to rest and recover.
• Listen to your body. If you feel pain, stop running and rest. Don't push through the pain, as this could worsen the injury.
• Avoid running on hills. Hills can put more stress on your lower legs.
• Stay hydrated. Dehydration can contribute to muscle cramps, leading to lower leg pain. Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after your run.
• Eat a healthy diet. Eating a healthy diet will help to give your body the nutrients it needs to recover from running and prevent injuries.

Running Pain-Free

Running is a high-impact sport, causing a lot of wear and tear. Finding the root cause is important to deciding on the best treatment plan. Once you know what you're working with, it'll help prevent running injuries from happening again. As always, ensuring you consult your doctor before beginning treatment is so important.