Common Running Injuries & How to Prevent Them (With Supervised PT Strategies)
- Blake Carter
- Nov 3
- 2 min read
Running is one of the simplest and most rewarding forms of exercise, but it’s also one of the most injury-prone. Research shows that up to 79% of runners experience an injury each year, most often from training errors, poor biomechanics, or lack of recovery. These injuries don’t just interrupt training, they can derail seasons, races, and long-term consistency.
The key isn’t running less, it’s running smarter. By understanding common injuries and implementing prevention strategies grounded in performance physical therapy, you can stay healthy and performing at your best.
The Most Common Running Injuries (and What Causes Them)
1. Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome/PFPS)
Symptoms: Pain around the kneecap that worsens with stairs, hills, or long runs.
Common Causes: Overuse, muscle imbalances between the quads and hips, poor patellar tracking.
PT Fix: Targeted hip and glute strengthening, soft tissue work for quads, taping for short-term pain relief, and gait retraining to optimize knee alignment.
2. Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)
Symptoms: Sharp or aching pain along the inner shin that worsens with impact.
Common Causes: Rapid mileage increases, poor footwear, or running on hard surfaces.
PT Fix: Gradual load progression, calf strengthening, soft tissue treatment, and orthotic evaluation when needed.
3. Plantar Fasciitis
Symptoms: Sharp heel pain, especially with first steps in the morning.
Common Causes: Limited ankle mobility, poor foot stability, tight calves, overtraining.
PT Fix: Soft tissue mobilization, intrinsic foot muscle training, progressive loading programs, and manual therapy to restore tissue glide.
4. IT Band Syndrome
Symptoms: Sharp pain on the outside of the knee, especially during longer runs.
Common Causes: Weak hips, limited lateral stability, and excessive trunk lean.
PT Fix: Strengthening of glute medius and core, running form correction, and soft tissue work to reduce friction along the IT band.
5. Achilles Tendinopathy
Symptoms: Stiffness or soreness in the Achilles, especially with push-off or after rest.
Common Causes: Overuse, rapid training changes, and improper footwear.
PT Fix: Eccentric strengthening, tendon-loading programs, and recovery-focused mobility work.
What Runners Often Get Wrong
Most runners rely on rest and generic stretches instead of addressing the root cause: movement patterns, strength deficits, and training load management. This often leads to the same running injuries resurfacing year after year.
The PT Playbook: Preventing Injury Before It Starts
At The Impact Initiative Physical Therapy & Performance, prevention starts with data: gait analysis, mobility screens, and strength testing. From there, we design programs to target the athlete’s weak links.
3 Practical Drills:
Single-Leg Step Downs: Improves knee tracking and hip control.
Heel Raises (Slow Eccentric): Builds tendon resilience for calves and Achilles.
Toe Yoga: Strengthens the foot’s foundation for stability.
Key Takeaways
Overuse and poor form cause most running injuries.
Supervised PT helps identify movement inefficiencies early.
Strength, recovery, and mobility are essential for prevention.
At The Impact Initiative Physical Therapy & Performance, we help runners across Woodstock, GA, Canton, GA, and Cherokee County prevent injuries and build durability so they can train longer and perform stronger.
Are you a runner experiencing pain OR wanting to prevent injury, book a free discovery call below to see how we can help you continue doing what you love, pain free!
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