A review of common overuse injuries in runners and a proposed training program for prevention

This report examines three common overuse injuries in recreational runners: patellofemoral pain syndrome, iliotibial band syndrome and plantar fasciitis. The anatomy of the knee, hip and foot is presented and discussed as it relates to each condition before exploring the mechanism of injury. A review of the literature for each injury includes various risk factors such as muscle weakness, muscle tightness and specific biomechanical factors potentially leading to injury. Recommendations for standard physical therapy exercises are included at the end of each chapter should injury occur. Finally, a preventative routine, developed with guidance from the practitioners at Sports Performance International is presented at the end of the report, taking into consideration the risk factors for overuse injury outlined previously, intended to reduce the likelihood of time being taken off due to pain or swelling.