Sprained Ligaments…race tomorrow…I need advice please!
Hello! I am a beginner runner, up to 3 miles at a 10 minute pace and I have sprained ligaments in both my knees. I have not run in a week and so far the pain is minimal when I walk. My doctor recommended using ultrasound therapy on them at $40 a pop (insurance doesn’t cover him doing it) for a minimum of 12 times. So I have some questions…
1. My first 5K is tomorrow….I really want to run but don’t want to injure myself further. But what is the line between being safe and being a wimp in regards to injury?
2. Are ligament sprains something everyone gets, sorta like shin splints where I should just suck it up and run on them?
3. Has anyone ever been treated with ultrasound? Is it a viable option? Is it worth the money or could I just stretch and be fine? Is $40 a reasonable cost for 20 minutes?
I have bought new shoes, motion control, which should help this in the future, but obviously don’t want to run tomorrow in brand new shoes.
I think I know the answer is Don’t run…but I have been training with a group and am getting so frustrated as I see them progress and I am held back because of a little injury. Any words of advice?
Sorry for the long post and thanks for any help you can give!!!
Amy
1 Comment found
Trigirl
Is this a little injury or is this causing you a lot of pain? Sounds like it might become a nuisance if you have rested a week and still feel some pain. A few days of rest and ice should calm down most injuries that are not too serious. Ultrasound may be helpful, but try to treat the cause rather than the symptoms. How did this start? Did you build up your mileage slowly? Are you running everyday? Even running 3 miles everyday is a pretty rough schedule especially if you are a beginner runner. Try to do some cross-training and run every other day and include strecthing and strength training. Sounds like a lot but running is pretty harsh on your body in the beginning so ease into it, get strong, and take your time. As for racing, I’m sure you made your choice by now and hopefully it was the right one! Good luck