Do you have a running related injury that you just can’t get rid of or that keeps coming back? And is the diagnosis vague or even non-existent and you wonder why it still hurts? My “Achilles’ Heel” is my right hamstrings. I have consulted chiropractors, doctors and physiotherapists and even had an MRI. They all tell me to strengthen my muscles; to activate those lazy gluteus muscles.

In February, I ran in total 40 kilometers (approx. 25 miles in one month). At the end of March, on a training camp in Portugal, I ran 111 kilometers (approx. 69 miles in one week). How was that even possible with my background? I’ll tell you: on the flight, I read an article about pain and it totally changed my perspective and this is what this blog post will be about.

To run or not to run

Before going on the training camp, my physiotherapist encouraged me to try different sessions. To do intervals, to run uphill, etc. In other words, he encouraged me to do the things I previously had been careful about and even avoided because of my hamstring pain. He didn’t give me any restrictions about running; however, in his opinion it is the long, monotone long runs that are wearing for your muscles if they are not strong enough.

Runner’s World

I read the Swedish version of the article from October 2018. The original text is written by Sam Murphy who is now a great inspiration to me. I am grateful for her having provided me with the original text and for letting me attach it to this blog post:

FEATURE Is Your Injury Real

The article is about modern research on pain. Today, research takes into account not only the physical factors, but also the psychological and social factors. It is the whole person who feels the pain, not only the body part. Pain is a perception that doesn’t necessarily have to be connected to something physical. Studies show that pain can exist where there’s no tissue damage and tissue damage can exist without pain. And then there’s phantom-limb pain; how do you explain that?

It’s in your head

Like hunger and thirst, pain is a messenger with a signal of a need and the body is just trying to protect itself. So why does it warn if there is no injury? The brain makes a guess. It warns earlier because it knows how it went the last time so it sends out signals as fast as it can. The more you’ve had the same injury or injuries in the same area, the faster and more powerful does the brain react.

• The intensity of the pain can be greatly influenced by your mental wellness, your mood, your stress levels, and your thoughts about the pain (e.g. anxiety can intensify the pain).

The brain doesn’t forget; it remembers injuries. In addition, it is a little paranoid. So when you, as a runner, for the second time get problems in the same body area (in my case, my hamstrings) the pain will kick in at a lower threshold.

• The brain immediately thinks that you have overloaded the tissues again.

If you still weeks after an injury feel pain, the problem is more likely with your central nervous system than with your body. In the article, this is compared with a smoke alarm:

• A smoke alarm doesn’t tell us how much smoke there is. It can go off even when there is no smoke at all and it can go off after the fire has been put down.

It all makes sense

My injury is no longer an injury. The pain or rather the sensations that I still feel sometimes is partly in my head but also, I still need to continue to strengthen my muscles. However, when I have succeeded in moving away my focus from my hamstrings to something else, I’ve had less pain, sometimes no pain at all. So, on the training camp, I dared challenge myself and my physical limits. Still, I listened to my body and sometimes ran in a slower pace. Occasionally, I ran by myself and not with the group. I did intervals but not as many as the program said. Before each running session, I did some warm up to activate my hamstrings and my gluteus muscles.

Conclusion

So, did it work? Did I get rid of the pain? Yes, it worked even though I didn’t get completely rid of the pain. But the more I ran, the better it felt in my hamstrings. The interesting thing is that in Portugal, I ran more than I’ve ever done before. I ran every day, often several times a day. I was on vacation, in the sun, and I didn’t have to think about the struggles of everyday life. I had less pain – most often no pain at all – than I did and do at home. Therefore, I can confirm that well-being and no stress have positive effects on pain. Also, I believe that it takes time to make the brain fully understand that it’s all right, that there’s no risk. Therefore, I am confident and I am not afraid of running or of the pain that might or might not come.