Preparation And Knee Injury Management Ahead Of The Great Manchester Run

Since the inaugural race in 2003 over a quarter of a million people have taken to the streets of Manchester and this weekend they will do all again. The event has become more mainstream in recent years and is now covered live on BBC 2 as well as being part of the Manchester City Games where sport takes over the city centre for the entire weekend.

We wish all the participants well on Sunday for what is a great event which has seen more than £22million raised for charitable causes.

Preparation is key

Whilst the event is only 10K (6.21 miles) it is still a substantial distance for a beginner or for those who have not trained. Failure to train your body properly before an event like this can increase the risk of injury from overuse where you have pushed yourself too far. This can result in the muscles and ligaments within the body become stretched and inflamed which can be painful and impact on mobility.

Ahead of the event you should create a training plan, allowing you to gradually work up to the required distance ahead of time. It is also important to vary your approach between distance and interval training so that you are fully prepared for the event and whilst knowing that you will push yourself further when in front of a crowd you should always be sensible and know your limits.

Overuse injuries

If you push yourself too far then you run the risk of incurring an injury as your body is telling you to stop and rest. We are all susceptible to overuse injuries, even professionals, but what is important to remember is to manage them in the right way. If you feel an ache or a pain then you should stop what you are doing and rest to minimise the risk of it getting worse.

When considering knee injuries you may feel pain in the joint and there may also be inflammation which can impact on your mobility. The majority of overuse injuries are largely self-limiting and following a period of rest and ice to help manage the inflammation you should be back on your feet in no time. A compression knee support can also be used when mobile to help manage inflammation on the move.

Ligament damage

There are different grades of ligament damage depending on its severity. A grade one results in a mild tear which will heal following rest, with ice and a compression helping to manage inflammation.

A grade two is a moderate ligament tear where there can be instability experienced. Whilst ice and compression to manage the inflammation is useful you may need to look at wearing a ligament knee support to offer additional stability and support for the knee during recovery. These braces use straps to act as external ligaments which offer the stability lost as a result of the injury.

A grade three is the most serious of injuries where the ligament is ruptured or torn and can require surgery to either repair or replace the ligament. Following this type of injury it can be very painful and you will typically experience severe swelling as well as instability of the joint and you should seek medical attention.

If you are unsure as to the severity of a knee injury then you should seek a professional diagnosis to assess treatment options as if you're heading into a 10K event you want to ensure you won't make any injury worse than it already is and compromise your ability to finish the event.

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