It’s that season… weather is getting nicer, days are getting longer and you are motivated to get in shape, so you set a goal of doing a 1/2 marathon, marathon or triathlon. Training is off to a good start but then you develop knee pain. What now? You rest, it feels better and then you return to running again and the pain comes back. Going up and down stairs has also become painful. You don’t know what you should do because, well, you already paid the entry fee for the race and, in the past you have just been able to work through the pain. But what if something more is going on? Do you need to see an orthopedic specialist? Are you going to do permanent damage to your joints if you ignore the pain?
My suggestion is always… go see a Physical Therapist! No expensive MRI required. PT’s are able to use diagnostic testing to determine whether ligaments, meniscus, joint or soft tissue is the problem. Once the cause of the pain is determined, how fast can you get back to running, biking, training? Physical therapy is an excellent resource to help reduce pain, restore normal tissue function and help create better muscular balance. In addition to these hands-on techniques, I have used a Return to Running Protocol from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts for a number of years. This is for those people who are serious about resuming their running after knee pain has gotten in their way. Follow this link to see the whole protocol. Return to Running Protocol.
And call Holistic PT today to make an appointment!