Running involves high impact on the joints in your legs, and anything from a discrepancy in leg lengths to over-training and inappropriate footwear can cause injuries and pain in your tendons.
Achilles Tendinitis
Achilles tendinitis occurs when the sheath that houses the Achilles tendon becomes inflamed and limits the space your tendon has to move, says Coolrunning.com. One cause of this injury is a shortening of the calf muscle, which causes the tendon to stretch beyond its limits and become painful. Another cause may be the forceful and repetitive lengthening of the tendon with each step you take while running. To determine whether you have Achilles tendinitis, take your tendon between your thumb and forefinger and slide your fingers upward, toward your calf muscle. If this is painful, you likely have Achilles tendinitis.
Peroneal Tendon Strain
Your peroneal muscles are situated on the outside of your leg between your knee and ankle. They assist in externally rotating your ankle, or moving your foot away from the mid-line of your body. The tendons of your peroneal muscles attach to the lateral, or outside, side of your foot and can become strained from the impact of running. According to the University of Buffalo Sports Medicine Department, running on a sloped surface or in shoes that have become too worn on the outside of the heel can cause a strain in your peroneal tendons. The most notable symptom of this injury is pain on the outside of your leg and ankle.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
The iliotibial band, often referred to as the IT band, is a strip of connective tissue that runs between your hip bone -- illiac crest -- and the top of your shin bone -- tibia. It frequently becomes irritated in runners, as it slides back and forth across your tibial bone at your knee joint, according to Sportsinjuryclinic.net. IT Band syndrome is characterized by tightness or pain at the point where your IT band contacts the outside of your knee, particularly while running.
Solutions
If you have an injury to one of the tendons in your legs, the best thing you can is rest it. Returning to running too soon will result in re-injury, as the tendons have not had time to heal. The University of Buffalo Sports Medicine Department, Coolrunning.com and Sportsinjuryclinic.net say icing and elevating the affected area can help reduce pain and swelling. If your pain persists, see your doctor. You may have a more serious injury such as a tear in your tendon, which may only be fixed surgically.
