Running and Chiropractic Care: How We Can Help

by Dr. Kayla Long, D.C.

If you’re anything like me, your social media feed has been absolutely invaded with running content. Running influencers, shoe brands, gels, electrolyte, smart watches…it’s a lot of content to absorb for a hobby that, on its surface, looks like it should be pretty simple.

Whether you’re new to running, you’ve been trying it on-and-off, or you’ve been consistently running for years, it’s important to learn how to care for your body before, during, and after a run. That’s where chiropractic care can help.

#1: Mobility

Any runner will tell you that stretching is key to feeling good after your run. Your hips,

knees, and ankles need to be able to move to be able to handle the physical stress of running. The force generated when your foot hits the ground doesn’t stay on the ground - it moves up your ankle into your leg and hip. If your ankle is stuck in pronation (walking on the inside of your foot) the force is not being evenly distributed through your foot, and you might end up stressing the arch of your foot and having arch pain.

Seeing a chiropractor can help to make sure your ankles, knees, and hips are moving the best they can so that you have less risk of injury, stiffness, and pain while running. Also, improving mobility will keep your running form as efficient as possible so that you can get faster and feel better as your running journey continues.

#2: Recovery

Running makes you sore! Just like any other form of exercise, doing it for a long time is going to make your muscles and joints sore. And, if you’ve ever tried running on sore and painful legs, you know how unpleasant that is. It can totally derail your process if, after a long run, you can’t move for days.

Seeing your chiropractor can be a game changer in your recovery. We have a multitude of ways to relieve muscle and joint pain, including, but not limited to, adjustments. We can use cupping (shown in the picture), muscle scraping, taping, shockwave, ultrasound, e-stim, and tons of other tools to get you feeling your best after a long run.

#3: Injury

Running can also very easily end up in injury. Plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and muscle strains happen every day and can completely set you back for 6-8 weeks at a time. Using the tools in a chiropractor’s office can help to speed up recovery from injury and help you return to exercising normally without injuring yourself all over again.

If you’ve injured yourself running, and Google tells you an ankle sprain takes 8 weeks to recover, and 8 weeks later you resume your training plan like nothing ever happened, you will most likely have a tough time. Your ankle will feel different, your run will feel harder, and you won’t know why. Your chiropractor can help to guide your recovery process so that you’re not starting over from zero when your foot is finally healed. There are things you can do to maintain your endurance and strength without putting as much stress on the joints, so that when you can run again, you don’t feel like you have to re-learn how to run.

I encourage any aspiring or active runner to pay attention to their body, emphasize recovery, and see your chiropractor so that you don’t have to manage it all on your own.

If you're interested in booking an appointment, you can directly book with our Matthews Chiropractic Clinic here: https://longevitymatthews.janeapp.com