Running is a fun, safe, and relaxing activity that has many health benefits, both physical and mental. However, pounding the pavement over time can take a toll on your muscles, joints, back, knees and soft tissues.
Sprains and strains can affect your performance and even lead to more serious complications. Some of the injuries brought on or exacerbated by a regular running routine include knee/hip pain, shin splints, and plantar fasciitis. While a visit to the doctor and use of ice packs and over the counter pain medication can help ease the pain, seeking chiropractor care can help keep you in tip-top shape.
Here are the various ways runners can benefit from chiropractic care:
1. Faster Healing Time
Soft tissue injuries and severe muscles tears typically require four to eight weeks of recovery time. However, with chiropractic treatment and follow-up exercises, your recovery time can be significantly reduced.
Chiropractors use manipulations and adjustments to restore optimal joint mobility, treat nerve interference and align the spine. These reduce inflammation, reduce pain and tension in muscles, and improve blood flow to the hurt area, all of which improve the body’s ability to heal itself.
2. Reduced Pain and Discomfort
Chiropractors use a variety of non-invasive treatments to address pain caused by sprains, strains, pulled muscles, and lactic acid buildup. Examples of the treatments used by these experts to manage pain include spinal manipulation and deep tissue massage. They target specific trigger points in the body to manage the discomfort and soreness associated with the injury.
3. Increased Range of Motion
Your range of motion and stride length are essential in improving your running technique. Unfortunately, most runners have trouble pushing off the back leg or picking up the knee due to mild scar tissue or microfibre restricting the hips. A qualified chiropractor can break up the restricting scar tissue and microfibre allowing for an increased range of motion, wider stride angle, and a longer stride.
4. Reduced Risk of Injury
A misaligned spine, also known as a “spinal subluxation,” can cause other parts of the body to be weaker and more susceptible to injury. Chiropractic care can align bones in the spine, restore joint mobility and remove nerve interference, all of which can have a ripple effect throughout your body.
Regular chiropractic adjustments and manipulations can reduce the negative effect the jarring motion of running has on your body and help reduce your risk of injury.
5. Better Balance
Having hips that are off balance can cause one side of your body to carry more weight than the other. Being out of balance will make your strides to be shorter, causing you to run slower. A chiropractor can adjust your hips to ensure your body is properly balanced. This can help increase your stride length and improve your mile time.
Incorporating regular chiropractic care into your overall fitness regimen can help ensure your body is in prime running condition and resistant to injury. If you have an injury, chiropractic treatment can boost your healing time and manage pain.