Physical therapists often see patients that have allowed their injuries to become chronic in nature. This can occur for a variety of reasons including--weakness, tightness, improper training, avoidance of nagging injuries, and poor shoe wear. Here are a few of the important factors you can control to reduce your chance of those injuries limiting your time away from running. 

1. Muscular balance is everything. Since muscle function and muscle balance help absorb the forces that impact the joints, muscles that work well may protect joints from excessive wear and tear. For example, “we often see weakness to one side of the outer hip which leads to the opposite hip dropping too much, which can cause excess hip, knee and ankle stress eventually leading to pain or injury and loss of efficiency and tolerance to running," says Derek Whitehead, Physical Therapist,  Athletic Trainer.
2. We have all had those nagging injuries that just linger. Current research shows that gaining flexibility with performance of dynamic warm-ups is helpful with injury prevention. Performing dynamic stretches prior to running can help the overall muscular patterns if it is done in a manner that focuses on those muscle imbalances.  
3. Cross-training is a key component. It allows us to minimize those repetitive stresses that accumulate in your joints based on overtraining. Moving your body in a different motion than running can strengthen your muscles and smooth out imbalances. By reducing the number of miles you run, you reduce the overall impact on your muscles, joints, and bones.
   

A physical therapy evaluation can help determine where the body has an imbalance and prescribe the appropriate home exercise program to maximize the body’s full potential for smooth, efficient movements.

If you or a family member have an injury that you would like to have evaluated, please reach out to PT Solutions for all of your physical therapy needs. Let our knowledgeable staff determine the best course of action to improve your overall quality of life! 

Derek Whitehead PT, ATC, is located at PT Solution's West Columbus Clinic at 3800 W. Carlos Folger Drive, Columbus. There are five other PT Solutions locations for your convenience. Visit our website or call 812-372-3035 for more information.