Have you ever tweaked your ankle while running or felt a sharp pain in your knee? If so, you’re not alone: running can be hard on the body, and injuries are common. But don’t worry – help is available.
Osteopathy is a manual therapy that can help with running injuries. They’ll help get you back on your feet – and running – in no time.
Common causes of running injuries
Running injuries can occur for various reasons, including:
- Overworking your body and doing too much too soon
- Unsuitable footwear
- Poor running technique
- Lack of warming up
- Lack of strength training
- Lack of mobility training
- Lack of stretching
Common running injuries
- Sprained ankle
Most runners go over on their ankles, sprain them, and are back to square one soon after. Ankle pain usually occurs when you twist or fall on your ankle.
The majority of sprains will heal with rest, ice, and elevation. However, it’s still a good idea to see an osteopath for a sports massage, recovery procedures, and strengthening exercises to help the ankle heal faster.
- Medial tibial stress syndrome
This injury, also known as shin splints, is caused by excessive tibial strain. Runners with this condition typically experience pain anywhere along their inner shin.
- Patello femoral pain syndrome
Pain near the kneecap, also known as “runner’s knee”, is commonly associated with long-distance running.
- Achilles tendon injuries
When you run, this muscle is constantly under strain and stress; it usually feels tight and stiff, but it can become increasingly worse.
- Plantar fasciitis
A condition in which the plantar fascia ligament, which is located between the toes and the heel, becomes inflamed after prolonged training on hard terrain.
- Pulled hamstring
Pulling your hamstring can be excruciatingly painful and can occur at any point along the muscle. Pulled hamstrings can occur due to various factors, including fatigue, running at a strained pace, and issues with other muscles that place additional strain on your hamstring.
- Patella tendinopathy
This injury, also known as “jumper’s knee,” involves damage to the patella tendon, which is located just below the kneecap. It is commonly associated with long periods of running.
Common osteopathic treatments for runners
- Joint mobilisation
Increasing joint mobility and range of motion through gentle manipulation and articulation.
- Soft tissue massage
This procedure focuses on increasing blood flow and releasing and relaxing muscles through deep pressure massage and trigger point therapy.
- Biomechanical and functional movement analysis
This essentially entails assessing your gait, both while walking and while running. This evaluation of your movement will include an examination of your back, hips, knees, and feet and how they are affected while running.
- Rehabilitation exercises
Your osteopath will recommend specific stretches and exercises for injury recovery and day-to-day training methods.
The benefits of osteopathy for runners
Runners can benefit significantly from osteopathy. An osteopath will evaluate your running technique, shoe wear patterns, and training load in conjunction with an osteopathic musculoskeletal examination to help form a picture of why the runner has become injured. The injury will then be treated by an osteopath using a combination of soft tissue treatment, joint articulation or manipulation, dry needling (acupuncture), and ergonomic, rehabilitation, and training advice.
Osteopaths are trained to use their knowledge of biomechanics to identify areas of your body that are not functioning optimally and work on them to improve your health and performance.
How to prevent running injuries
If you are new to running, you may be more likely to require treatment for runner’s injuries. If you increase the length or intensity of your running routine, you may be at greater risk of running injuries.
Before you end up needing treatment for running injuries, it might be worth paying a visit to your osteopath. An osteopathic evaluation is your best bet for avoiding running injuries.
This is because we recognise that running is an excellent way to get in shape. It improves cardio-vascular fitness and muscle tone and can even improve your mood! As a result, we strongly encourage you to participate. However, running can be dangerous, even for marathon runners.
Whether you run marathons, jog for general fitness, or use running as a training aid for other sports, there is always room for improvement in performance, injury prevention, and rehabilitation.
Final thoughts on How Can Osteopathy Help With Running Injuries?
Osteopathy provides numerous long-term benefits to the body, mind, and spirit. Osteopathy can be used as a preventative measure, allowing athletes and runners to avoid similar injuries in the future.
Osteopathy’s primary goal is to get your entire body moving correctly. This makes your body more efficient, allowing you to waste less energy and redirect it towards healing and recovery. In the end, this means fewer injuries, less time off, and improved performance.
