Walking Injuries - What You Need to Know & More

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

19 Dec 2006 11:10 AM

We talked a little about some of the walking injuries you may sustain during a walking program and today, I want to talk about a few more that may crop up during your walking routine. When we understand what an injury is about, we can learn how to treat it and potentially to avoid letting it cripple us.

Other walking injuries you may sustain:

• Neuroma
• Shin Splints
• Runner's Knee
• Stress Fractures
• Bursitis

These don't sound very comfortable across the board and in many ways they aren't. So let's talk a bit more about what these injuries are and what impact they can have one you.

Neuroma

A neuroma happens when the tissue around the nerves near the base of your toe gets thick. The thickening can cause numbness, tingling and pain. It can feel like you are walking on a rock or a hard marble. Oddly enough, you find neuromas far more common in women than in men. You may need to wear shoes with more room or you may end up needing surgery. It's important to consult a podiatrist at the first sign of pain because this is a condition that can worsen quickly.

Shin Splints

Your shin is the area between your knee and your ankle. They are designed to literally carry up to six times your own weight. This is vital because between walking, running and all the other moves you can make while exercising or living day to day, you can create stress and strain on your calves pulling repeatedly at your shin muscles unless you keep them strong. Shin splints happen when you pound concrete too often and if you keep up the stress without getting treatment, you can actually cause a fracture of the tibia.

If you are experiencing a great deal of sensitivity and pain when you are walking, give the inflamed tissue time to heal and refrain from long distance walking. You may also want to talk with your physician about anti-inflammatory medication. You can also try cycling or swimming rather than walking for a while - both are much more low impact on your shins while they are trying to heal.

Runner's Knee

Your knee may begin to ache - after constant abuse, the kneecap may actually begin to rub against the femur (your leg bone that connects to your hip) and that can actually cause damage to your cartilage and tendons. You'll want to vary your exercise choices and strengthen your quadriceps if you are feeling that kind of pain and you'll also want to consult a physician - especially if you leave untreated long enough to become a permanent injury.

Stress Fractures

If you are pressing on a specific area in your foot - you may feel some tenderness or pain - chances are you may be experiencing a stress fracture in one of the small bones in your foot. Remember, repetitive stress can overload the bones because they absorb the shock rather than the muscle when the muscle is stressed too far. You need to build up your endurance rather than diving into long distance walking or running in order to help minimize the opportunities for a stress fracture. If you have a stress fracture, you'll need to give that area of your foot plenty of weeks to rest in order to prevent a deeper fracture or full break of the bone.

Bursitis

My grandmother experienced bursitis for a long time and it's a very painful condition that affects the hip where the bursae (fluid-filled sacs) become inflamed. Those sacs are what cushion your hip during action and motion. When you have a leg that is slightly longer than the other, you are more susceptible to this condition. This is another injury that occurs when you dive too intensely into a walking or running program without giving your body time to build up endurance. If you experience bursitis, you need to give the area plenty of time to heal and that means avoiding a lot of prolonged or intense walking and instead going for swimming or other low impact activity.

Related Articles:

The Pains of Walking

Holiday Fitness Ideas: Why 10,000 Steps?

Nordic Walking - Poles & More

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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