It’s great to see so many of our patients training for the many upcoming running events around Christchurch and New Zealand this year. The Mitre 10 Mega - A Run to Remember last week was an amazing success with over 2,000 participants taking part, many of whom will attempt the City to Surf later this month. There is such a mixture of people attending these events from the novice runner, through to top competitive athletes, and those who just want to participate, whatever their fitness level may be.
Source: Australian Osteopathic Association, 2014
Running has many health benefits; improved overall fitness and cardiovascular health, weight loss, increased body strength, and improved mental health and wellbeing. However it can also take its toll on the body, with runners commonly suffering from a range of minor to more serious injuries.
At Merivale Osteopathy we are keen to promote safe and healthy running and to aid performance at all levels and ages.
We specialise in the treatment of all running injuries, including:
- Patellafemoral Pain Syndrome (Runners knee)
- Iliotibial band syndrome
- Shin splints
- Plantar fasciitis (heel pain)
- Achilles tendonitis
- Muscular / ligament strains and tears
- Low back, shoulder and neck pain
What can Osteopathy do to treat my running injuries and improve my overall running performance?
As osteopaths we are keen to understand your pain, and the effect it has on your training. We dedicate ourselves to identifying and treating the underlying problem and not just the point of pain. Our patients are continuously surprised that even with knee pain, we will examine the entire skeleton; including the foot, ankle, low back, shoulders and neck. Addressing muscular imbalances and skeletal joint restrictions is imperative in returning runners back to optimum health. With running injuries, we often find imbalances in the pelvis which can for example be responsible for a shorter leg. These can be easily corrected with osteopathic treatment, and perhaps avoid the need for orthotics.
Pelvic imbalances can be responsible for various strains to one side of the body more than the other. Ever ask yourself ‘why is my right iliotibial band strained and not my left, or why does my right knee hurt and not my left?’ There is always an underlying reason for this, and this is why our osteopaths will explore the entire skeletal system to identify the reason for the imbalance and restriction.
Prevention of running injuries is also at the core of our approach to treatment. On examination of a patient we can easily identify and treat strained tissues that could cause future running injuries, if left untreated.
At Merivale Osteopathy, all our Osteopaths are ACC approved service providers and we can refer our patients for further imaging (X-rays, Ultra-sound) or to an orthopaedic specialist, if required.
We are excited to continue our work with all of our runners and we wish them much luck and continued health in their future training. Looking forward to seeing you all at the finishing line!