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Getting injured is the worst, yet it’s rare to meet a runner that has never dealt with an injury. With that in mind, we talked to Dr. James Robinson, a board-certified sports medicine physician at HSS who is also a lifelong runner, about what runners can do when they’re injured.

Prevention

“The best way to treat injuries is to prevent them from happening,” says Dr. Robinson. He offers guidelines for how to do that:

• Take adequate rest to allow the body to recover.
• Cross train with low impact and non-weight-bearing activities—biking, swimming, yoga, Pilates, for example.
• When increasing mileage, follow a structured program. Typically, increases of more than 10-15% of total mileage per week increase the risk of injury.

Responding to an Injury

If you have an injury or think you may have one, your first step is to stop what you’re doing. Dr. Robinson shared some visible warning signs runners should look out for:

• If your knee is visibly swollen after a run, you should have it checked out. Effusion or swelling on a joint usually indicates that there is inflammation inside the joint. It can be a sign of structural damage, and you could be doing more damage by continuing to run.
• If something is sharp, new, or makes you uncomfortable, stop. In addition, says Dr. Robinson, “Pain that gets worse that longer you run is something that should be evaluated—for example, it isn’t bad at the start, but by mile 3 or 4 it is really hurting. This is common with stress fractures.”

Getting the Help You Need

Set up an appointment with a sports medicine doctor, orthopedist, or physical therapist to help get to the bottom of your injury. It can be hard for athletes to know when it’s appropriate to see a professional, since there are many different types of pain.

For any issue, the earlier you can get to the root of the problem, the quicker your rehab process can be and the sooner you can be back to running. Dr. Robinson says, “No one wants to take time off of running, but early in an injury it can help heal, thus keeping you from having to take more time off later.”

Taking time off can be discouraging, but it’s important to let your body heal. In the meantime, if your doctor approves, Dr. Robinson says, “Cross training with activity that doesn’t hurt can maintain cardiovascular fitness while allowing injuries to heal.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with an injury and needs help, visit hss.edu/sports or call 800-796-0484.