5 Ways Chiropractic Care Can Help Runners

Runners are a unique breed of exercise enthusiast. These individuals love nothing more than lacing up the sneakers and hitting the road for 5, 10, or even more miles on a daily basis. However, running can often lead to musculoskeletal issues, if certain preventative measures aren’t taken.

Thankfully, chiropractic care serves as a viable treatment and preventative maintenance option for runners. In this article, we will review 5 of the main ways chiropractors can help runners both in terms of prevention and rehabilitation. Let’s take a look!

Improved Range of Motion

When performing an athletic movement such as running, good range of motion is vitally important. Having stiff, inflexible joints, especially in the lower body, can prevent runners from setting new PRs (personal records) and from even running with proper form.

Furthermore, lacking range of motion can cause pain and dysfunction across the body, leading to widespread chronic issues.

By visiting a chiropractor regularly, runners ensure that they take a very effective step towards improving their range of motion.

Decreased Pain

For many runners, chronic pain is just something they assume is normal. In truth, pain is a normal phenomenon in some situations. For example, it should be painful when you touch a hot stove or nick your finger with a sharp object. This type of pain is our body’s way of protecting us. Then, once the injury heals (after a few days or a few weeks, depending on the extent of the damage), we no longer feel the pain.

But chronic pain is never normal. This means that our body’s processing systems have been affected in some way. 

Chiropractic treatments can help to re-establish connections between the nervous system and painful body areas. In doing so, patients can begin to experience fewer painful symptoms, and they can return to the sport they love.  

Improved Coordination

Above all else, running takes a huge amount of coordination in order to be effective. Maintaining a consistent, but easily adaptable gait pattern for many miles is very challenging for the musculoskeletal system, the cardiopulmonary system, and the nervous system. 

While practicing running form and performing coordination exercises are crucial steps toward becoming a great runner, chiropractic care can also be a big help.

By correcting misalignments in your spine, your chiropractor may be able to improve the coordination between the many body systems necessary for successful running.

Better Breath Control

When you’re running, you need to breathe at a certain pace in order to match the demand of the exercise. As intuitive as this may sound, many people struggle with breath control during their runs. Interestingly, chiropractors may be able to correct this issue by targeting areas of the spine that communicate with the lungs and respiratory organs.

You’ll be amazed how much of a difference excellent breath control can make with regard to your mile times and other factors dealing with running.

Optimized Posture

Posture is important for all tasks. When we are sitting and working at a desk, assuming the proper seated posture is essential. Additionally, when we are standing and reaching for something, posture is also critical. 

This is also true of running. Those who maintain poor running posture are more likely to develop runner’s knee and other common issues associated with the sport.

Luckily, chiropractors are experts on posture. Because of this, chiropractors are uniquely positioned to help runners develop and maintain excellent posture and form during their runs.

Are you a runner who is looking for assistance with rehab or preventative steps? If so, consider scheduling a session with your Noblesville chiropractor at Anchor Health Chiropractic. We are ready to help you today. Book your appointment now!