Preventative Maintenance

With races around the corner, it’s easy to get caught up in workouts and higher mileage. Before you get too close to race day, consider the idea of getting evaluated by a physical therapist even if you haven’t been recently experiencing any pains or injuries.

This is a big ask, we know. For most of us, PT is usually the last thing on our minds until we’re hurt — then it’s priority’s 1, 2, and 3. Instead of taking this approach, this year consider scheduling an evaluation with a PT to analyze your mechanics, running shoes, orthotics, home therapy routine, etc. before aches and pains occur. Just like it’s recommended to the doctor once a year for a checkup even though you aren’t sick, the same theory can be applied to PT. By doing so you could possibly identify a potential mechanical/structural abnormality, which if left unaddressed could grow to develop into an injury down the road.

Similarly, many runners will notice that they have a particular muscle group or leg around which all of their past injuries have revolved. In this situation, there is likely an underlying issue which ultimately causes most of these injuries. Again, what better time to explore and address these items than BEFORE you’re approaching your goal race? 
If you have a PT you trust and have worked with before simply call them up and schedule an evaluation with them. They will be accepting of the fact that you may not have a current pain or injury, and more than likely they will respect the preventative approach you’re taking. And for anyone who does not have a go-to PT resource at their disposal, keep in mind that we have two great PT partner resources! Kiera and Felicia are both available to perform a virtual gait analysis for runners and provide helpful feedback. You can find out more information about their services on the Resources page of our website underneath Virtual Service Providers. Let’s all do everything we can to stay healthy in 2022!