Tendon Recovery Tips for the Runner

For all those who have experienced tendon pain, you know it can take time to recover from and can prevent you from pursuing your running goals.  Here are some tips on how to approach these troublesome injuries. 

Tip #1: Rest does not always fix the issue. If you have pain that is severe and affecting your everyday life, resting may be a good short-term solution. If all you do is rest and then dive back into your regularly scheduled activities, your pain could possibly return. 

Tip #2: Flexibility is key. You may still be able to engage in your favorite exercise, but you may need to modify your training volume and intensity. Approach exercise utilizing this traffic light analogy. 

Green = Go.  No pain with exercise. Proceed with your regular routine.

Yellow = Proceed with caution.  Mild to moderate pain with your daily tasks. Pain returns to baseline pain after exercise. May need to modify your training and seek out PT.

Red = Stop.  Moderate to severe pain that changes the way you walk, run and perform your daily tasks. You may benefit from cross-training or putting a pause on your training. Seek out PT. 

Tip #3: Exercise can help. There is a lot of research on tendon rehabilitation and loading principles. This research has helped us to improve our ability to address tendon loading required for repetitive, high impact movement. These protocols need to be individualized and what may work for one person may not work for another. 

Tip #4: Balance and reflection. Lastly, pay attention to your sleep quality, stress levels, nutrition and ensure you are allowing enough recovery time between your runs. Trying to stay balanced in these areas can help you stay more resilient and injury-free.