Doctors point to potential sport risks
Print Edition
RUNNING has been becoming a popular, even chic, way to get exercise in big cities like Shanghai. Every year, marathon registration websites in China are jammed with applicants, forcing organizers to revert to a lottery system to control the number of runners.
Though running is one of the easiest exercises to do, it is also one of the easiest to develop sports injuries. Keeping fit can turn fitful if exercise leads to pain in muscles and joints. Even experienced runners are susceptible to injuries.
"I carefully read some books on running and health management before starting exercises in 2012 for weight control,"said Wu Rui, 38. "I started at a low intensity and gradually increased my running. I also interspersed it with other sports, such as swimming and ball games."
Wu said running has become an ingrained part of his lifestyle. He often runs with friends, many of whom have graduated to marathons. Wu said he will fly to New York in November to run the marathon there."
"I have received some injuries,"he said. "It's important to have the proper health awareness, especially for new runners."
The Internet and media are common sources of information about running and tips on avoiding injuries. But despite the wealth of knowledge at our fingertips, how do we really know if we are doing something right or wrong? We can watch videos of proper techniques online, but in the end, it all boils down to listening to our bodies. A sharp pain or a dull ache warns us that something is amiss.
If you run and your knee hurts, you really need to stop and reassess the situation. Pain and swelling are lagging indicators. By the time they appear, tissue damage may have already occurred.
According to Dr Joone Lee, a chiropractor and rehabilitation specialist at the Shanghai East International Medical Center, the biggest cause of injuries is repetition.
Sporting activities and even many of the simplest things in daily life frequently rely on repetitive movements. Improperly executed gestures, over time, may develop into aches and pains.
Many clinics offer evaluations that look at the most ideal running posture for each individual body type. Common risks to runners include pain in the lateral calf region — known as runner’s knee — which can result in discomfort to the kneecap, swelling knees and damaged meniscus, the rubbery, C-shaped disc that cushions the knee.
“Many runners came to me complaining about painful or swollen knees,” said Dr Wang You from the orthopedics department at Shanghai No. 9 People’s Hospital. “Swollen knees usually result from over-exercising. Such an injury can’t heal by itself and requires medical attention. Those who delay treatment may wind up in surgery.”
Wang said people 60 years and older need to pay special attention if they run or do other active exercise because their joints have started to degenerate. “Older people would be better advised to walk instead of run,” he said. “And jogging on slopes or rough land increases the risk of injury. It is not uncommon for older people to choose hills or climbing steps to get exercise. Eventually, some of them will require knee replacement surgery.”
Dr Liu Jianguo, director of the traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation department at Ren’ai Hospital offers tips for people to prevent runner’s knee.
“Warm up and stretch properly before running,”he said. “Keep your leg muscles strong to allow them to support the knee better. It is also important to use proper running gear, to run on soft and flat ground, and to increase the intensity of workouts gradually. Runners can wear a heartbeat monitor to keep tabs on their own health conditions and prevent negative effects.”
In addition to knee injuries, runners may also suffer heart problems, as has been evidenced
in some international marathons in recent years.
Chen Dexiang, who works in Ren’ai Hospital’s health checkup center, said ordinary people should have their hearts checked before they start running. Electrocardiograms, treadmill tests and bone mineral density checks may spot heart problems that could be exacerbated by high-intensity exercise.
“For runners planning to participate in marathon, it’s very important to have heart and lungs examined beforehand,” Chen added.
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