Did you know that the Greek word for chiropractic actually translate as “done by hand”.  Chiropractic care is a non-medicinal way that we can help physical ailments through hands on adjustments.  Some of the most common adjustments are related to the spinal column, where the misaligned vertebra can cause pain in the back, hips and other areas.  A chiropractor will focus a lot of attention on the joints.  The specialized tables that are used allow a “drop” in the table so the chiropractor can maneuver the body into a optimal position that allows for the perfect pressure to be applied on or around the joint, allowing the joint to slip back into the most efficient position.  Often there is an immediate pain relief, and certainly with proper spinal maintenance can give long term health benefits.

As you can imagine as runners, there is a lot of stress and overuse issues that can affect the major joints in the body.  Often the complaint of sore hips, knees, lower back, shoulders or even ankles are heard from many runners at social gatherings or posted on their Facebook accounts.  Misalignment issues (also called subluxations) are not unusual for your average runners, and certainly not with the elite runners.  The most common injuries for runners coming into the chiropractic office are related to the foot or lower legs, but not limited to that, as you can see from the list mentioned above.

This means a proper fitting shoe is a must for any runner wanting to stay injury free.  At Sante Chiropractic and Wellness Centre we also have the means of checking your gait with TOG Foot Analysis System.  This allows us to see your gait that may be contributing to the running issues you are having.  If necessary there are Custom Orthotics available.  Not only are we interested in giving pain relief, but also in getting to the source of the pain so that we can prevent it from continuing to interfere with your running goals.

How We Run Can Affect Our Whole Body

At Sante Chiropractic and Wellness Centre we are interested in a head-to-toe analysis of our patients.  We understand that just because you come in with pain in your knee does not mean that the problem has originated from the knee.  Often it is a misalignment in another area of the body.  Many runners are very tight in their butts and hamstrings but their cores are weak.  This is not a good combination if you are hoping to stay injury free.  The core muscles are the muscles that stabilize the body.  If our core is weak than our body doesn’t work as it should.

Here are some tips on working on strengthening your core: Core Exercise

How Can A Chiropractor Help If I Run

When looking for a chiropractor that can give you a winning edge in your running, here are some tips:

• does the chiropractor listen to the runners goals?
• does the clinic use a systematic identification process? (x-rays, Insight Subluxation Station, etc.)
• do they send runners home with suggested exercises to help themselves?

Regular chiropractic care assists the body in performing at an optimal health level.  It helps ease the mechanical load and stress that is placed on the body, whether you are marathon training or just living every day lives.  Regular checkups allow a chiropractor to pick up any subtle subluxations that if left unhelped may cause future injuries.

Seeing a chiropractor should be part of your running regimen to stay healthy and fit to ensure that you make it to your  next run.

If you are a runner, what would be your most common complaint or injury you have had to personally deal with?

Gotta run,

Resources:
runnersworld.com