The 3 Most Common Running Injuries: How to Prevent & Treat Them with Physio Adrian D’Costa

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Nov 21, 2025

Adrian D'Costa, Head Physiotherapist and running coach, shares his expertise on preventing common running injuries like runner's knee, shin splints, and IT band syndrome. He discusses the importance of load management and how terrain can affect knee stress. Adrian highlights effective strength training techniques, particularly for the quadriceps, and stresses the significance of hip stability over stretching for IT band pain. He also dives into recovery strategies, emphasizing sleep, nutrition, and tailored cross-training to keep runners injury-free.

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INSIGHT

Shin Splints Are Bone Stress

Shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome) are a bone stress response when bone turnover can't keep up with training.
The condition exists on a spectrum from periosteal irritation to marrow stress and frank stress fracture.

ADVICE

Slow Progression For New Runners

Beginners must progress load slowly because bone adapts slowly; recent pain can reflect months of prior load.
Track training history (e.g., Strava) to spot steady spikes that predict shin issues.

INSIGHT

Bone Health Is More Than Training

Bone health depends on more than load: resistance training, nutrition and hormonal status (especially menstrual health) drive bone turnover.
Ignoring menstrual or energy issues increases bone stress risk and needs clinical attention.

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Shin splints, runner's knee, and IT band syndrome explained by expert running physio Adrian D'Costa - discover how to prevent and fix the most common running injuries with proven strength training and recovery strategies.

In this episode of The Runna Podcast, hosts Anya Culling and Ben Parker sit down with Adrian D'Costa, Head Physio at Runna and one of London's leading running injury specialists. Learn the science behind patellofemoral pain syndrome, medial tibial stress syndrome, and IT band pain and the prevention and load management techniques to keep you injury-free.

What you’ll learn:

✅ Why runner's knee affects 25% of runners (and how to prevent it)

✅ The truth about shin splints as a bone stress injury

✅ Best strength exercises for runners: the "rainbow quadricep method"

✅ Why hip stability beats stretching for IT band syndrome

✅ Recovery secrets: cross-training, sleep, and smart training cycles

✅ Load management strategies for marathon training

This episode targets the 3 most common running injuries, what they are and how to prevent & recover from them.

*Listener Note*

We hope you found this episode helpful. Please note that this discussion is for general information only and is not a substitute for individual medical advice.

Part of this episode touched on hormonal health, and we’d like to provide some additional clarity.

Hormonal contraception does not stop oestrogen production or inherently compromise bone health. Suppression of ovulation with combined hormonal contraception does not mean that oestrogen production stops, nor does it place someone into a low-oestrogen state.
As discussed, menstrual changes can be one possible sign of physiological stress, but they should not be used as a primary or shortcut measure of health. For all athletes, assessment should focus first on training load, fuelling, recovery and overall energy availability.

If you have any questions on the subject, please seek medical advice.

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