'Running' injury? Look for the less obvious cause!

Running can have a bad rep as a cause for all sorts of injuries. But following the Cool Impossible programme shows how through strength and form training you can avoid pit falls and run injury free. Which was I was surprised late last year I started getting a pain in my lower back / upper hip on the right hand side of body, and at the same time a stiff neck on the left side. The non-running medical professional may have pointed the finger at road running in only 4mm drop shoes. But I believe you should look for the less obvious cause.

So there I was one day on the way to work, some days I have to park some distance from work and walk the rest of the way in (city centre office and all that), and on one of those days the pain was more noticeable than before. So there I was mulling it over, and cursing it, when it suddenly clicked - I've recently been given a rather heavy lap top for work, and the 'rules' say I have to take it home each night - and guess what I carry it in a courier bag - around the left hand side of my neck - and with the lap top on my right hip - BOOM! Nothing to do with my running at all (thankfully!)

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Comment by Rich Warne on August 7, 2014 at 4:04am: And here is another one! Last couple of weeks I've been having some stiff ankle pain / achilles pain in both feet, but mostly my left. So your 1st thoughts are "bloody running isn't good for you!!!!" Anyway I've gone back to doing some leg strength work - hadn't been doing much (sorry)... but that's not the cause... it's just clciked what is is....
It's the school holidays, so for last 3 weeks I've spent 3 days a week working from home (and keeping eye on my kids!), sat at kitchen table with laptop.... and today I realised the chair is low compared with my chair and work, and instead of sitting with my feet flat on floor, I'm sat with my feet "bent back"... and gues what that is doing? Yeap stretching my achilles constantly..... in the words of Homer (Simpson) D'oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment by Eric Orton on January 17, 2014 at 10:01am: Great post. When I work with athletes with "issues" - the discomfort/pain is just a symptom and the cause comes from another area of the body.

And I always ask the athlete, "what is different, what is new"? This is a great place to investigate, just like your laptop.