How Physiotherapists Help Runners
Spring is almost here! It’s a season that can be an additional source of motivation to run after winter. Running this season allows you to make the most of the extra sunshine. However, many runners can become sidelined due to chronic pain and/or an underlying condition that damps the running experience.
Luckily, taking physiotherapy will be beneficial for you. Incorporating physiotherapy sessions into your running routine can help prevent and treat common injuries, as well as aid in your swift recovery. A good physiotherapist will also be able to suggest helpful stretching exercises to do before and after runs.
How Physiotherapy Can Help - What’s In It for You?
In simple terms, physiotherapy is a science-based health care approach that holistically rehabilitates disabilities and injuries to promote improved quality of life, return of functional mobility and maintain health for people of all ages.
The major objective of physiotherapy is to help patients recover more quickly and successfully by providing them with the tools they need to do so, whilst also allowing them to maintain the current level of their activity.
Injury Prevention Will Always Be The Core Key
To achieve better and more visible results, you need to look for highly qualified professionals who have undergone rigorous training to acquire advanced skills and an understanding of human anatomy. You should also have peace of mind that you will receive the highest standard of physiotherapy health care as these practitioners deal with all sorts of conditions, including neck and back pain, chronic injuries, osteoarthritis and postural dysfunctions.
Physiotherapy may help you evaluate your range of motion, muscular strength, and overall flexibility. This is important when it comes to running and preventing injuries. Some common runner's injuries include:
- Sprains, strains and other joint injuries can be extremely painful and debilitating. Whether you've twisted your ankle playing sports or dislocated your shoulder in a car accident, the last thing you want to worry about is how you're going to pay for treatment.
- Achilles tendinopathy: Overusing the Achilles heel repeatedly till it swells up and causes pain
- Plantar fasciitis: Inflammation on the bottom of your feet
- Patellofemoral stress syndrome (PFSS): Kneecap not aligning with the thigh bone, causing pressure and pain
- Piriformis syndrome is a condition in which the muscle in the buttock region spasms and causes pain. This can also irritate the sciatic nerve, causing pain, numbness and tingling along the back of the leg into the foot.
- Hamstring strain is a chronic condition that causes pain and tightness in your back thighs. This forces you to slow down and shorten your running stride. The pain becomes intense, which can cause you to stop mid-run. If you try to take long strides or overextend your legs, you may strain your back thigh muscles.
Indeed, there are many injuries that can occur when your muscles, tendons, tissues and ligaments are not flexible or strong enough to manage the strain you put on them whenever you are running. The good thing is that physiotherapists can treat common injuries that runners encounter and provide preventative solutions, that is, exercises and routines to keep you in tip-top shape. Also, it is best if runners can check their shoewear and their running forms.
The Benefits of Physiotherapy for Runners
As a runner, you are constantly putting stress and strain on your body. This can lead to a variety of injuries, both acute and chronic. Physiotherapy can help to treat these injuries and get you back on the trail as soon as possible.
Physiotherapists are trained to assess and treat a variety of conditions, using both hands-on techniques and exercise prescription. They will work with you to develop a treatment plan that is catered to your personal needs.
Physiotherapy also ensures you enjoy the following benefits:
Improved Balance
Balance, as an important part of physiotherapy, involves the neuromuscular ability to contract muscles and adjust one's posture to remain upright. It isn't only a necessary talent for running, but it is also frequently overlooked.
Having better balance causes you to run faster. When you are more aware of where your feet and lower legs are in relation to the ground around you, the chances of injuring yourself by spraining something decrease.
Physiotherapy works on improving your overall balance and makes you a better runner by also fixing any issues with your gait and strengthening the muscles in your core.
Physiotherapy Can Help You Run Longer
If you want to keep your running shape up, no matter how old you are, physiotherapists will keep you in top form. They can help you improve not just your running endurance or the kilometres you can run but also longevity.
Improved Breathing
Physiotherapists are body movement experts. They know that breathing is the fuel for your movement, so it's very important to pay attention to your breathwork. Through physiotherapy and core fitness exercises, you will learn how to control your body movements and improve your breathing. This will help you in your future runs.
Takeaway
Simply put, if you ever need some extra assistance in avoiding running injuries, want to develop your own physiotherapy program or just want some rehabilitation advice through a physiotherapy session, avail a physiotherapy service. If you want to run long-term, it is a good idea to go see a certified physiotherapist to get your running analysed. This will help make sure that you are running safely, with the correct form and posture.
With their expertise, you can confidently and easefully lace up those running shoes as they understand the importance of staying active and being able to do the things you love. Experienced physiotherapists are experts in treating running injuries and advocating injury prevention. They will work with you to create a customised treatment plan that will get you back on your feet and running again in no time.
