An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. –Benjamin Franklin
As a physical therapist, I help people who have suffered from an injury through the process of rehabilitation. Yes, accidents will happen, but being proactive can help you to avoid and limit the chance of an injury.
Nothing derails a perfectly designed training program like an injury. One key to being a Resilient Runner is to optimize your health and lessen your risk of injury by being proactive upfront. Continue Reading →
Running is one of the most popular sports and hobbies in recent times. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 500,000 annual marathon finishers and up to 40 million people who run regularly.
Of those 40 million people, more than 10 million are running at least 100 days a year!
Running can be enjoyed by almost anyone despite age. Not only is running fun, but it has many health benefits including (although not limited to) the following: Continue Reading →
Nothing can derail your best laid training plans and goals like an injury or suffering from Overtraining Syndrome (OTS).
OTS usually starts with muscle soreness and a feeling of fatigue. Then it quickly progresses into a case of overtraining syndrome or injury. Overtraining can occur when the intensity and/or volume of exercise becomes too much for the body to properly recover from. Many common running injuries are directly associated with OTS. It’s always best to prevent OTS rather than attempt to recover from it. Continue Reading →
For runners, the dreaded diagnosis of a stress fracture (particularly in the foot) can result in not being able to train or race.
This causes much disappointment over months of discipline and hard work. Stress fractures are caused by overuse and repetitive activity and are commonly found in runners and athletes who participate in soccer and basketball.
Refraining from running and high impact activities for an adequate period of time is an important aspect to recovering from a stress fracture in the foot. Returning to running too quickly can delay the healing process as well as increase your risk for a complete fracture (which would take even longer to recover from). Continue Reading →
A quadriceps strain, also known as a quad pull or thigh strain, is a relatively common running injury.
Strains can range from a mild discomfort to a full blown tear of most of the muscle which can result in severe pain and the inability to run or walk. The injury typically happens when one or more of the quadriceps muscles become overloaded.
In this post you will discover the factors that increase your risk of straining your quadriceps, and learn specific strategies to implement during your rehabilitation and return to activity. Continue Reading →
The 2016 Rio Olympics brought new light to an old treatment–cupping. The world stared as athletes like Michael Phelps proudly displayed his petechia for the world to see.
Petechia is the medical term for the purplish bruise that can form with certain types of cupping techniques.
After seeing so many Olympic athletes with bruises this year, the rest of us were left wondering about this trend of using cupping as a medical treatment or sports enhancement treatment. Does cupping really work? Can I utilize cupping as a self-treatment method for common running related pains? Continue Reading →
Low back pain (LBP) can be so severe and debilitating that it can completely derail your training.
It’s hard to run if your back, buttocks or leg hurts. You either won’t try to do it or you try to suffer through it only to be rewarded with worsening symptoms later on. However, initial activity and exercise are critical when treating LBP. Continue Reading →
The number one reason why runners won’t reach their goals is also one of the most preventable reasons: injury! Nothing derails a perfectly developed training plan like an injury.
The most common injury to runners is also the most common injury for those in the western world: low back pain (LBP). LBP is estimated to affect nearly 80% of the U.S. population at one time or another. And worse yet, once you have experienced an episode of LBP you have a 90% chance of having a reoccurrence. Continue Reading →
Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most prevalent medical conditions treated in the United States and throughout the western world.
Avoiding the following most common mistakes can save you from costly medical visits, prescriptions, chiropractic visits, and physical therapy services.
More importantly, avoiding injury and LBP insures that you can keep training and racing to your heart’s content!
The question most often asked in regard to the older runner: Is it safe?
The answer is yes! Running can actually help to decrease some of the physiological declines that occur with age.
Who is considered to be an older or masters runner? Typically, masters runners are over the age of 40. Shocked? Me, too!
While it’s true that getting older is not for the faint of heart, it’s also true that if you do nothing, the following age related declines in physical functioning will occur regardless.
Metatarsalgia is a general term that refers to pain in the foot (typically around the ball of the foot).
It’s common in runners, track and field athletes, and for those who participate in high impact related sports (such as basketball and soccer). It’s also commonly associated with overuse syndrome.
Metatarsalgia is pain and irritation at the end of the metatarsal joints near the toes. Potential causes for the pain include: a stress fracture; gout; osteoarthritis; hammertoes; calluses; and pain in the joint from swelling and irritation. It can also be from neuromas, in which nerves tend to bundle and become irritated between the metatarsal heads. Continue Reading →
Imagine how much the average person actually slouches during a day.
Slouching during breakfast, then hunched over the kitchen sink to wash dishes, slouching while driving a car, and then slouching while sitting at work or at a school desk.
Don’t forget about slouching while texting, watching TV or using the computer. When you are not slouching, you’re bending over to clean or pick up children and/or pets. The list of slouching possibilities is endless!
Now envision your running posture. Does it look any different? Many of us run in a forward head and rounded shoulders position–a slouched posture! Runners experience many of the same aches and pains as their sedentary counter parts. Upper back and neck pain is a common occurrence. The most typical cause is almost always poor posture. Continue Reading →
