Running is one of those things that is incredibly healthy to do – it leads to strengthening in the knees, lower back and upper back, but also helps with posture, weight loss, muscle gain and so much more. Unfortunately when some beginners begin to run, they do so incorrectly. They don’t wear the right shoes, they over exert themselves, they don’t stretch before running or they don’t take care of their bodies after the run. Because of this, many beginners that start running have issues that they run into that will stop them from running altogether, for a while anyway. Don’t feel too bad about it though, even advanced runners sometimes have problems not related to the precautions mentioned here and they get hurt in the process of their daily or weekly routine. When it comes to a beginner, you may just figure, ah well, I tried. You may never try it again. But for hardcore runners, just stopping is a difficult situation. Because of that, a lot of runners look into alternative medicine such as Chiropractor treatment to help them get back on their feet and into their routine again. If you ever wondered why you should visit a sports chiropractor for a running injury, how they can help you, and the different types of treatment available for runners, continue reading below for that, and so much more.
Physical Therapist versus Sports Chiropractor
When it comes to a running injury, most athletes and runners will rely on a physical therapist to help them with strengthening the muscles and coordination. But, if you really want to fix the problem at hand such as joint mobilization i.e.; making sure all of the joints are in working order and are moving correctly, no one is better suited for this than a sports chiropractor in Paterson. The Team Chiropractor for the Washington Redskins believes that both physical therapy and sports chiropractors when used in unison is a great treatment for any injury, specifically sport related though. When you visit a sports chiropractor, they will want to check out all of the factors to your body including the joints and soft tissue. If you visit a sports chiropractor they will take a look at factors such as how your joints are moving, how your joints are on a quality level when you are standing, how well your knees are aligned and how well your hips are aligned. Under this type of evaluation, it will give the Chiropractor a better understanding as to what type of treatment you need.
Chiropractic Treatments for Runners
If you visit a sports Chiropractor and he or she starts to talk to you about the different treatments available, they will most likely mention these four (4) below, they are:
– ART or Active Release Technique: This is actually a combination of both stretching and massaging. This is a technique usually used for adhesions and primarily done through trained therapists, but sports chiropractors can do these as well. Deep tension throughout the joints and muscles is ascertained while the individual moves the joint through various ranges of motions.
– The Graston technique: This technique allows the doctor or therapist to get rid of or break down scar tissue that is at the surface level of the skin. They use tools such as handheld stainless steel tools to break down the adhesions. This sounds a lot scary than it really is. It’s a good idea to check this one out on YT. There are no blades or anything scary when it comes to the Graston technique. Instead, the hand held tools vary in weight, shape and size to help the therapist essentially find the scar tissue and then continue to break it down by using a back and forth motion and applying some pressure.
– Dry Needling; this is a technique that uses trigger points, like that of acupuncture, but this is done on a deeper basis. The trigger points help relieve things like tension. This is a great technique for runners that have problems with the psoas muscle. The psoas muscle is a critical hip flexor muscle that is especially important to runners.
– Electrical muscle stimulation: Electrical muscle stimulation or EMS is a way to stimulate the surface muscles and they help to release any tension, soreness or pain in those areas. The EMS machine is a really powerful machine; I don’t even think you can buy these online legally. You have to see a PT or Chiropractor to get this treatment done. However, once you do, and you learn a little but more about how it works and how to work the machine, you can buy a TENS machine to use at home. The TENS machine or Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation tends to work the same way, but is less powerful.
