Running

Running injuries seldom result from an acute or sudden event. Instead, they are usually the result of cumulative micro-trauma, also known as repetitive overuse injuries. Most running injuries happen in runners’ hips, knees, ankles, and feet. Injuries can occur from running with the wrong form or in the wrong shoe as well as from select muscle weakness and flexibility issues. At Breakthru Physical Therapy + Fitness, our physical therapists are trained to break down the mechanics of how you run to identify your weaknesses and show you how to improve your running form and prevent future injuries.

What Does a Running Assessment Involve?

Our expert physical therapists will take your medical history and discuss your training routine. They will then perform a detailed physical examination, including:

• A detailed analysis of your running mechanics
• Foot and ankle structural assessment
• Footwear/orthotic evaluation
• Lower extremity and core strength assessment
• Functional movement analysis
• Range of motion measurement at the lower extremity and low back

After the physical examination, your physical therapist will customize an individualized treatment plan to address your running impairments and help you reach your training goals.

How Can Physical Therapy Help?

Physical therapists can help runners recover from current injuries as well as decrease the chance that they will return. Treatment for running injuries and injury prevention typically involve a combination of the following:

• Running technique
• Thigh and calf strength
• Hip and core stability
• Quad, hamstring, and calf flexibility
• Foot mechanics (decreasing excess pronation)
• Shock absorption
• Training strategies (frequency, distance, environment, etc.)

If you are dealing with an injury that keeps you from running, and want to learn more about treatments offered at one of our Breakthru Physical Therapy + Fitness clinics, or to schedule an appointment, please click here.