Running Pain: Causes, Prevention, and Rehab
I have teamed up with my friend and physical therapist Dr. Cody Csontos and we are going to discuss running! In the videos below you will find information on running pain, running form, running injuries, and physical therapy. Before we get into the fun stuff…let me introduce Cody. Cody is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and his clinical interests include sports injuries, athletic rehabilitation, and orthopedic related injuries. He enjoys watching his patient’s progress and return to a regular exercise program so they can reach their health-related goals. Please note that this program is not intended to diagnose or treat any injury or illness. If you choose to try any of the exercises presented in this program you do so at your own risk. Please consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program. Not every exercise is safe for every person. Correct execution of all exercises is critical to prevent injury. Please consult your health care professional if you have questions about an exercise execution or if an exercise is right for you. Now to the fun stuff!!
Part 1: Running Warm-up Exercises
With myself as a trainer, and Cody as a physical therapist, we see many running related injuries that could be corrected or prevented with a warm-up and strength training exercises. So many runners skip their running warm-up or think that running slowly counts as a “warm-up”. Adding in a few of strength exercises before going out for your run is a great way to get your muscles and your body prepared to handle the loads of running, remember running is a single leg dynamic activity. Skipping your warm-up could be setting yourself up for injuries or just a poor run in general. In the video below, Cody is going to take me through a few exercises that he might recommend as a physical therapist that runners can do to warm-up to before their next run.
Part 2: Running Form and Technique
Another area that is often overlooked is running form. Running form can play a huge role not only in your run performance (pace, endurance, speed etc.) but also in preventing injuries. If someone is consistently having running related injuries, that could be an indicator that they may be able to improve their form while running. In the video below Cody and I will demonstrate a few common running form mistakes and corrections that we can make to help improve our form.
Part 3: Running Injuries and Physical Therapy
Pain is one of your body’s methods of communication. If something doesn’t feel right or feels painful, that is your body’s way to trying to tell you that something is wrong. Remember pain feels different for everybody, your pain is not the same as my pain. If something feels painful for you its important that you see a healthcare provider to get your pain evaluated and diagnosed to prevent possible injury. If your experience an injury, physical therapy can be used not only treat your injury but also teaches you what to do to try to prevent reoccurrence. In the videos below Cody will talk me through just a few common running injuries that physical therapy can help with.
Part 4: FAQ’s
In the video below Cody and I will answer a few frequently asked questions about physical therapy regarding insurance, scripts, duration, and more!