How to Run With Lower Leg Pain
Runners tend to be a breed of hardcore athletes who narrow their thinking to one thing: running every single day. Short of death, they will run in rain, sleet and snow. If you are a runner, you understand. Running with lower leg pain is possible, but make sure it is not a serious injury. If your ankles or knees bother you or when you bear weight on the leg, it makes you wince, take a few days off and see your doctor to make sure it is not a hairline fracture in your foot or ankle or a more serious issue. If you experience minor lower leg pain, there are several ways to reduce the pain and to prevent injury. When in doubt, see your doctor.
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Instructions
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Use preventative care by using a foam roller to thoroughly release any adhesions where muscles stick together and can create lower leg discomfort. Using a 4- to 5-foot long foam roller, sit on the floor behind it and drape one leg over it. Place both hands behind you and literally roll all the muscles on the top, sides and back of your leg. This means under the thigh (hamstrings) and calf muscles (the overworked gastrocnemius and soleus muscles). Do both legs.
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Warm up properly. No matter if you are a 5 mile a day runner or a marathoner, it is still a good idea to always warm up before every run. Jog at a low rate of speed for 10 to 15 minutes, using an even stride where you observe that you are hitting your heel to the outer edge of your foot and rolling off on the inner big toe.
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Stretch lightly after this initial warm up jog. Depending on how warm or cold it is when you are running, you may be too cold to stretch effectively without doing the warm up jog first. After jogging, stop and stand in front of a staircase. Hold the banister and stretch the backs of your legs (Achilles tendon, hamstrings and calf muscles). Do this by placing one foot on a step so that the ball of the big toe is on the step and you can lower your heel down. You should feel an obvious stretch the entire length of the back of your leg. Remain for 20 seconds and repeat to the second side.
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Return to your jogging pace for at least another 5 minutes. As you ease into your run, observe if you experience any lower leg pain and identify precisely where it is. Is there a tightening grip around the shins or is it the back of the calves or really the knees? Shin splints are a common injury for new runners or those getting back into shape when they run on mainly sidewalks: the surface is too rigid and the shins become very tender and sore. If you have tightness in the calves, that may mean jogging for a longer period of time to warm up. Any joint pain in the ankles or knees should be checked by a doctor.
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Complete your run and do more stretching on a staircase as described in Step 3. Immediately shower and change into warm clothing. Apply ice packs to any areas that feel painful or tender, such as the shins if you have shin splints. Also apply Arnica or Traumeel gel; both are well-known in Europe and used by athletes of all stripes to help reduce muscular soreness.
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