5 Reasons To Incorporate Physical Therapy Into Your Running Program

Running might not be considered a high-impact sport, nor do many people think of running as a high injury-risk sport. However, it presents its own set of obstacles that can cause overuse injuries such as muscle strains. Whether you’re a past-time or serious runner, incorporating a running-specific physical therapy program can not only keep you injury-free but also improve your overall fitness.

1.  Physical therapy is an individualized plan built with the runner in mind.

By combining the newest advances in sports medicine with the most current knowledge, a physical therapy program that is tailor-made for a runner will help improve everything from technique to training. Physical therapy isn’t just for recovering from an injury. An individualized plan will help you strengthen your weakest areas, which will help you stay injury free and improve performance.

2. Assessment of muscle imbalances will help you reach the next level.

One of the most-asked questions for an athlete is what their biggest weakness is and how can they overcome it. Knowing your weakness is an essential part in improvement and bringing your competitive edge to the next level. This is where a running-specific physical therapy program will help as it will assess your muscle imbalances and then provide exercises to minimize those imbalances and strengthen any injury-prone muscles.

3.  A focus on running technique will improve overall performance.

Physical therapy doesn’t just focus on strengthening and recovering from injuries. It also focuses on body form and technique. A certified athletic trainer working with a physical therapist will assess your running form and technique, pinpointing areas of improvement so that you can surpass all your running goals.

4. Buying the right running gear makes all the difference in the world.

It might just be shoes, but wearing the right running gear means the difference between a personal record and your worse record, or between staying injury-free and having to sit out the season. A physical therapist and athletic trainer will ensure that your shoes fit your body and technique and help with your body’s overall biomechanics so that you can stay injury free and improve your running time.

5. Keep up your running with low-impact training.

Although not considered high-impact, the constant pounding of running takes a toll on the lower body. Finding a way to continue running with lessening the impact on the lower body is difficult. Such low-impact sports as swimming and biking help with cross training, but you still have to hit the road day after day to see real results. Special equipment available through physical therapy, such as the anti-gravity treadmill, allows you to continue to run but with lower impact on the lower body. This machine is most important for injury rehabilitation for runners.

OSR has the necessary programs to help you achieve your PR.

OSR offers a running-specific program that’s based in sports medicine literature, individual video gait analysis, assessment of injury and muscle imbalances, shoe type, and running technique. Whether you’re an avid long-distance runner or a weekend warrior, we can help you achieve a personal record on your next run. Contact us today if you’d like to take your running to the next level with an individualized physical therapy program.