Upon evaluation, she stood with her feet flared out, more pronounced on the right side. Her arch on the right side touched the ground which is indicative of a body style that will create problems such as knee and hip pain in runners. Her shoes were fitted well by the store, although, I stated that she should consider purchasing off the shelf inserts for the shoes and I recommended a specific model the store carried. Her hips and mid section were torqued, and her legs would barely lift off the table. As usual, I taped her feet using a typical figure 8 wrap and she noticed she felt looser and her neck was more relaxed. She did not volunteer that her lower back was always sore as well as her neck because she just thought it was from the training.
Her first treatment consisted of loosening the muscles in her mid section with myofascial release treatment, which removed the torque from her pelvis. Her legs were quite tight into her gluts (butt muscles) and her calves were also very tight. She felt marked relief with the manipulation I gave her, as she rose from the table. My legs and hips feel much looser and it is easier to straighten up she said.
On her follow up visit, she said she felt much more relaxed during the run and that her times improved and she had a markedly better run overall. My knee pain was markedly reduced she said. She showed me the new inserts in her shoes and said they feel great, and her feet hurt less after the run.
Most runners do not understand the connection between knee pain, their back, their neck and the other parts of their body. Our office specializes in runners and running injuries. This is their season, now with the weather warming. I always try to teach athletes about their body and possible problems, so when they do have difficulty, they understand it better and can make better decisions as to whom to visit for advice and care if necessary.
Tell me what you think? As always, I value your opinion You can email me directly at backfixer@aol.com
