With the weather cooperating, there’s no end in sight to the local running season. However, one thing that could shorten your season is a common running-related injury such as:
• Runner’s knee or Patellofemoral pain syndrome
• Achilles tendinitis
• Hamstring issues
• Plantar fasciitis
• Shin splints
• Iliotibial band syndrome
• Stress fracture
To prevent these common injuries from occurring, the physical therapists at ProActive Sports Rehab in Hamburg and Orchard Park recommend the following:
• Proper stretching of quadriceps, hamstrings, calf and hips.
• Strengthening of hips, which provides proper alignment of knees. Because running is performed mostly in one plane of motion, runners need cross-training involving lateral and rotational movements.
• Proper running sneakers for your foot, assessed by a physical therapist or running store associate, to fit your individual foot structure.
• Gradual progression of running time and distance. Training with a running club may be a good strategy.
If pain occurs, seek medical evaluation from your physician or physical therapist. Common PT treatments include assessing running technique, addressing muscle imbalances, improving range of motion and strength, pain and inflammation control, and ASTYM, a specialized tool-assisted treatment that works on soft tissue structures such as muscles, tendons and ligaments to promote healing and tissue regeneration, allowing for improved mobility and decreased pain. ASTYM is also shown to speed up recovery time and allow pain-free running more quickly.
ProActive Sports Rehab, with offices in Hamburg and West Seneca, offers one-on-one physical therapy and rehabilitation services. For more information, please call 674-9600 (West Seneca office) or 648-8700 (Hamburg office). You can also follow ProActive Sports Rehab on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProActiveSportsRehab for frequent updates.