Alfred W. Hanmer

Alfred W. Hanmer, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Newton-Wellesley Orthopedic Associates and at the postrace clinic, says most patients that seek care have minor to moderate musculoskeletal injuries such as iliotibial band friction syndrome, quadriceps and Achilles tendon inflammation, excessive muscle soreness, shin splints, blisters, and toenail problems.The most serious cases were acute stress fractures in a few patients, chest pain in one patient, and lingering effects of dehydration in one patient.

Hanmer and Zachazewski say the injury profile of patients treated in the clinic was what they expected, given the distance and rigor of the marathon course.
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"Some are extraordinarily invested in completing the race, and they will finish whether walking or not," says Hanmer.The biggest mistake race participants make, he says, is inadequate stretching, hydration, and nutrition.

Seeing the range of injuries helps Hanmer, himself an endurance event participant, guide his active patients to become more aware of their bodies so that they can recognize problems when they first surface."The injuries we treat are often the same injuries they've had all along," he says."I tell them that they should be careful if they even feel the presence of a body part, such as a knee.That can be an early sign of injury."He says working at the clinic also reinforces the importance of preventive stretching for marathon runners, particularly of the iliotibial band, hamstring and quadriceps muscles, and the Achilles tendon.

Alfred W. Hanmer, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Newton-Wellesley Orthopedic Associates and at the postrace clinic, says most patients that seek care have minor to moderate musculoskeletal injuries such as iliotibial band friction syndrome, quadriceps and Achilles tendon inflammation, excessive muscle soreness, shin splints, blisters, and toenail problems.The most serious cases were acute stress fractures in a few patients, chest pain in one patient, and lingering effects of dehydration in one patient.

Hanmer and Zachazewski say the injury profile of patients treated in the clinic was what they expected, given the distance and rigor of the marathon course.
...
"Some are extraordinarily invested in completing the race, and they will finish whether walking or not," says Hanmer.The biggest mistake race participants make, he says, is inadequate stretching, hydration, and nutrition.

Seeing the range of injuries helps Hanmer, himself an endurance event participant, guide his active patients to become more aware of their bodies so that they can recognize problems when they first surface."The injuries we treat are often the same injuries they've had all along," he says."I tell them that they should be careful if they even feel the presence of a body part, such as a knee.That can be an early sign of injury."He says working at the clinic also reinforces the importance of preventive stretching for marathon runners, particularly of the iliotibial band, hamstring and quadriceps muscles, and the Achilles tendon.