Physical therapy manual physiotherapy treatment by physiotherapist on patient for knee inury rehabilitation.
Does your back or knee hurt when running? Struggling with aches that occur when you least expect it? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, a staggering 65 percent of all runners will suffer an injury in any given year. Jogging enthusiasts are at risk too.
The good news is that most injuries can be successfully prevented. A skilled physiotherapist can teach you the best exercises for runners and show you how to use proper form. He can also recommend ice therapy, foam rolling, orthotics, and other methods that help with injury prevention and treatment.
Need more proof? Here are three ways runners can benefit from physiotherapy:
Assess Your Physical Condition
A physical therapist can assess your range of motion, muscle strength, and overall flexibility. These factors play a key role in sports performance and injury prevention. Weak quad muscles, for example, put you at risk of runner’s knee and other common injuries.
Knowing these things is particularly important for beginners as well as for those who’ve had injuries in the past. Furthermore, a physiotherapist can analyze your running biomechanics to identify any risk factors that may lead to injury.
Offer Personalized Advice
Let’s say you want to start a running program or join a marathon. Either way, you will need to increase your running speed, pace, duration, and other variables. This can put stress on your muscles and joints, causing injuries.
A physical therapist will offer personalized advice based on your needs. He will recommend the best kind of footwear and design an exercise program to strengthen your muscles and improve your performance. If you’re new to running, he can help you get started and bring you closer to your goals.
Prevent and Treat Running Injuries
Those who work in this field use various techniques to prevent and treat sports injuries. Massage, electrical stimulation, dry needling, and ultrasound therapy are just a few to mention. Your physiotherapist can stretch tight muscles, massage painful areas, and apply pressure to your joints to move them into a correct position.
Pro athletes have their own physiotherapists for a good reason. These experts help them recover faster from training and treat their injuries at an early stage to prevent complications.
These are just of a few of the many benefits of physiotherapy for runners. Contrary to popular belief, this form of treatment isn’t just for athletes. From beginners to weekend warriors and marathon runners, anyone can reap its benefits.
