Frequent Physical Therapy Needs of the Avid Runner
Many people love running for its amazing health benefits, both physical and mental. Runners often experience a “runner’s high,” or an endorphin rush during or after a run that keeps them feeling happy and positive for hours. Plus, running regularly can tone your thighs and calves and help with overall fat loss.
Though running is beneficial in so many ways, it can also cause some physical problems. That’s why seeking physical therapy is so important for avid runners. Regular physical therapy can not only treat running-related issues and reduce recovery time, it can prevent injury with increased flexibility and stronger muscles and joints.
Why do runners need physical therapy?
It can treat injury. Running can cause knee injuries, shin splints, ITBS, and other painful conditions, yet many runners have the bad habit of working through the pain instead of taking the time to rest and recover from their injury. A physical therapist specializing in sports rehab can treat specific injuries by building up the strength of the muscles and joints around it while also prescribing specific stretches the runner can do to reduce pain and increase range of motion.
It can prevent injury. Many runners end up injured because they’re not stretching the right muscles before or after a run. Additionally, failing to incorporate strength training into their exercise routine can lead to weaker muscles and therefore a higher risk of running-related injury. A physical therapist will be able to introduce you to the proper stretches and muscle-building exercises you need to perform in order to run safely and effectively as well as the many strategies for healthy recovery, such as foam rolling.
It reduces the risk of re-injury. Getting injured as a runner and having to take weeks or even months away from running is bad enough without suffering the same injury as soon as you get back out there. A trained physical therapist will be able to thoroughly understand exactly why you received the injury in the first place and correct the issue so that you won’t develop the same injury again.
It increases performance. Most runners know that a physical therapist can treat and prevent running-related injuries, but most don’t realize that regular physical therapy can improve your running performance overall. With specially designed stretches, exercises, and strategies, physical therapy can improve the strength and flexibility of your quads, calves, knees, hips, and ankles, making you a better, more effective runner.
Schedule your screening today to get started on your physical therapy journey.
