People often find running on a treadmill to be a welcome alternative to road or cross-country running. You do not have to deal with rain, wind or other bad weather, and conditions underfoot are always good. You may also find it easier to track energy expenditure, speed and how far you run.The running surface of a treadmill can often be more forgiving than that of the road, but there are a number of specific injuries that are particularly common in treadmill runners.
Foot Shape and Treadmill Knee Injuries
According to Podiatry Today, the shape of your foot is the major determinant of the knee injuries that you will be prone to. The shape of your foot dictates how your foot strikes the ground, and the way that your foot strikes the ground determines how your weight lands on your knees. The ideal foot type is "neutral;" neither overpronating or oversupinating. These kinds of injuries are particularly common in treadmill runners, who tend not to vary stride or footfall as much as outdoor runners. If your foot overpronates it rolls inward too much once your foot hits the ground, leading to overuse injuries. If your foot rolls outward too much this is called excessive supination, and causes stress type injuries to the knees.
An Overpronation Knee Injury: Patellofemoral Syndrome
Patellofemoral syndrome is an overuse injury often caused by overpronating. Symptoms include knee pain, cracking sounds and sudden weakness in the knee. Other causes include weakness of the vastus medialis oblique muscle or having one leg shorter than the other. It can also be caused by wide hips and so is more common in female athletes.
An Oversupination Knee Injury: Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is caused by overuse and inflammation of the plantar fascia, a tendon that runs from beneath the heel to the front of the foot. Symptoms include heel pain that is worse in the morning and sometimes extends along the arch.
Treatment
Physical therapy from a trained podiatrist can relieve the symptoms of these knee injuries caused by treadmill running. Orthotics, a kind of specialized insole prescribed by podiatrists, can also help to prevent injuries getting worse.
Prevention
A neutral foot can be maintained with the right running shoes. People who overpronate need stabilizing shoes and people with excessive supination need compensation in the opposite direction. You can have your foot type identified at a dedicated running store where a specialist can identify the correct shoe for you.
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