"Don't just be in the game. Win the game."
The No.1 U.S compression wraps and tapes manufacturer, Healit™, has joined forces with the New England Patriots to bring fans health, fitness and Patriots-inspired content throughout the 2017 season.
Healit™ systems are the next generation of therapeutic sports and medical compression wraps. Their unique self-adhesive compression wraps and tapes are designed to prepare the body, prevent injury, protect against re-injury and enhance performance. Healit™ wraps and tapes help to reduce swelling, improve blood flow and increase oxygen and nutrient delivery to damaged tissues so you can go faster, work harder and last longer.
The "Patriots Wrap-Up presented by Healit™" will be available on Patriots.com and Patriots social media channels throughout the season. Additionally, Healit™ will have a monthly series published right here on the Lifestyle section of Patriots.com, in which Patriots fans are provided with beneficial health and fitness tips.
No Days Off Health Tips: Running Edition – The Big 4 Injuries and How to Avoid Them
Healit believes that prevention is better than cure. Whether in training or in competition, it is important to know your body and understand how to manage it to cope with the rigors of running.
This is our guide to the top four running injuries and how to avoid them.
1. Plantar Fasciitis
This is a common condition caused by running whereby the athlete experiences sharp, tight, painful sensation at the base of the heel caused by inflammation on the bottom of the foot. While this pain can be intermittent, it is often excruciating and always disruptive to training and competing.
The most common cause of this condition is overtraining or insufficient/inappropriate support that causes tight or weakened muscles in the foot. When the muscles in your feet are weak, the heel is forced to bare more load than it normally could or should. This overcompensation leads to inflammation of the tissue and can often cause pain in calf muscles and the ankle.
Plantar Fasciitis is a great example of how an injury can cause severe disruption to your preparation and performance, but it's also a great example of how the issue can be prevented and overcome with active management.
2. IT Band Syndrome
This is a condition that can completely wreck your training and performance schedule if not taken seriously.
Your iliotibial (IT) band is a tendon that connects your knee to your hip, and IT band syndrome is what we refer to when the tendon becomes inflamed. IT band syndrome can be caused by many things but the root cause is when overt stress is put on the side of the knee that causes friction between the IT band and the femur and eventually leads to a swelling of the tendon.
3. Patellofemoral Knee Syndrome
This condition is classically characterized by a constant ache underneath your kneecap caused by uneven running surfaces, poor shoe selection, weak quads and hips, as well as unaddressed biomechanical flaws. In most cases however, the condition links back to movement around the patella or an inability of the tissues surrounding the patella to recover effectively between activity.
Frustratingly, if this condition causes too much pain, the only option is to rest. If the site is inflamed, muscles and tendons should be regularly cooled and anti-inflammatory's taken to help reduce swelling. In the long term, however, your focus should be on strengthening the knee, analyzing your action with your trainer, investing in good trainers that support your gait, and where possible support the site in question with well applied compression wraps that reduce movement and increase blood flow to the tendons that require it.
4. Shin Splints
This ubiquitous term refers to describe a plethora of pain in the shin area. In the best case it refers to an inflammation of the tendons surrounding the shin bone and in the worst case it can refer to a terrifying stress fracture along the tibia. In both cases, the runner will suffer a huge amount of discomfort and disruption to their training and performance.
Should you suffer shin splints though, rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories will help reduce the tenderness and inflammation, while support to your ankles and knees can often encourage better form and reduce stress on the tendons surrounding the shins that suffer from poor technique.
Don't forget… Healit™ compression wraps and tapes are available at **www.healitwrap.com/shop**. Patriots fans get 10% off all orders and FREE shipping when you enter the code PATRIOTS10 at checkout.
