Whether you’ve just rediscovered your love of running in your forties, or you’ve been pounding the pavements for years, there’s one thing that almost every runner encounters at some point — injury. A niggling knee, a tight Achilles, or that frustrating pain in your shin that just won’t shift.
The good news? Most common running injuries are highly treatable. The key is understanding why they’ve happened, getting the right diagnosis, and addressing the full picture — not just where it hurts.
The Most Common Running Injuries We See
At Thorpes Physiotherapy, we have a genuine passion for helping runners get back to doing what they love. We provide physiotherapy and sports massage at the Yateley 10K Series, and through our dedicated Run Lab service, we see a wide range of running-related injuries every week.
Here are the conditions that come through our door most frequently:
1. Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)
One of the most common complaints among runners of all ages, runner’s knee causes pain around or behind the kneecap — often worse when going downstairs, after prolonged sitting, or during longer runs. It tends to develop when the knee is being loaded in a way it isn’t prepared for, often linked to hip weakness, foot mechanics, or a sudden increase in mileage.
2. Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)
That dull, aching pain along the inner edge of your shin is a classic sign of shin splints. It’s particularly common in those returning to running after a break or building mileage too quickly. The bone and surrounding tissue are being asked to absorb more load than they’re currently conditioned to handle.
3. Achilles Tendinopathy
The Achilles tendon connects your calf to your heel, and when it becomes irritated or overloaded, it can cause stiffness and pain — particularly first thing in the morning or at the start of a run. This condition tends to creep up gradually and is closely linked to calf strength and how much load the tendon is exposed to over time.
4. Plantar Fasciitis
A sharp or burning pain in the heel or base of the foot, often worst with the first steps of the day. The plantar fascia — a band of tissue running along the sole of the foot — becomes strained, typically due to overuse, poor footwear, or insufficient lower limb strength.
5. IT Band Syndrome
The iliotibial band runs along the outside of the thigh, and when it becomes tight or irritated, it causes a sharp, sometimes debilitating pain on the outside of the knee. Hip abductor weakness and training load are common contributing factors.
Why Do These Injuries Happen?
There’s rarely one single cause. In most cases, running injuries are the result of a combination of factors that build up over time:
- Too much, too soon — increasing mileage or intensity faster than the body can adapt
- Muscle imbalances — particularly weakness around the hips, glutes, calfs and core
- Poor running mechanics — subtle changes in gait that place excess stress on specific structures
- Inadequate recovery — not giving the body enough time to rebuild between sessions
- Previous injury — old injuries that weren’t fully rehabilitated often resurface under load
The common thread? The body simply wasn’t conditioned to handle the demands being placed on it.
The Right Approach: Diagnosis, Education, and Treatment That Goes Beyond the Pain
Here’s where many runners go wrong — they treat only the symptom. Pain in the knee? They stretch the knee. Sore heel? They rest it for a week and hope for the best. But pain is rarely the whole story.
Effective rehabilitation has to look beyond where it hurts.
A thorough assessment will identify not just what’s injured, but why it’s injured. That means examining movement patterns, loading capacity, strength deficits, and how all of these factors interact during running. Without this bigger picture, the same injury tends to come back — often at the worst possible time.
At Thorpes Physiotherapy, our approach combines accurate diagnosis with structured rehabilitation, addressing the root cause rather than chasing the symptom. We help you understand what’s happening in your body so that you can train smarter, not just harder.
🔗 Feeling the effects of a running injury? Find out how we can help here.
How Thorpes Physiotherapy Helps Runners
We don’t just treat running injuries — we have a genuine specialist interest in them. Through our Run Lab, we combine detailed biomechanical assessment with evidence-based treatment to help runners of all abilities return to training confidently and sustainably.
Our Run Lab service looks at:
- Gait analysis — identifying movement patterns that may be contributing to your injury
- Strength and conditioning — building the capacity to tolerate running loads over time
- Load management — helping you train consistently without constantly breaking down
- Return-to-run programming — a structured plan that progresses you back safely
We also have access to advanced treatment technologies, including Radial Shockwave Therapy — a clinically recognised treatment particularly effective for conditions like Achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, and shin splints. Shockwave delivers targeted acoustic energy to stubborn, chronic tissue problems, stimulating healing and reducing pain in cases that haven’t responded to conventional treatment alone.
Our team regularly supports runners at the Yateley 10K Series, providing on-the-ground physiotherapy and sports massage — so we understand the real demands that recreational and competitive runners face.
Whatever stage you’re at — whether you’re training for your first 5K or trying to get back to peak performance after months of frustration — we can help you build a plan that works.
Don’t Just Manage the Pain — Address the Cause
If you’ve been dealing with a running injury that keeps coming back, or you’re managing discomfort on every run just to stay in the game, it’s worth getting a proper assessment. Running through pain without understanding what’s driving it is rarely a long-term solution.
The goal isn’t just to get you through your next race — it’s to keep you running for years to come.
📅 Book Your Free Discovery Visit
Not sure where to start? Our free Discovery Visit is a no-obligation conversation with one of our team to discuss what’s going on, what might be causing it, and what your options are.
There’s no pressure, no commitment — just clarity.
If you are ready to take action to fix the problem, you can call 01276 37670 to book an appointment (or book online through the button below).
I hope this has been interesting and of value to you.
Warm regards
Jonathan Smith (MSc BSc FSOMM MCSP SRP)
Director of Thorpes Physiotherapy