Acupuncture for Running Injuries

Acupuncture for Runners

Are you a runner preparing for an upcoming marathon, 5k or other race? If so, you know that training can take a toll on your body. Muscle soreness, joint pain, and other injuries are common among runners.

Acupuncture and dry needling are effective treatments for pain relief and injury prevention. These techniques have been used for thousands of years to help people manage pain and promote healing.

If you have an important race or just want to perform better for your hard runs, it's time to make sure your body is ready for the challenge. Acupuncture and dry needling can help you achieve your running goals by reducing pain and inflammation, improving circulation, and promoting faster recovery times.

At Morningside Acupuncture, we specialize in providing acupuncture and dry needling treatments for runners. Our experienced practitioners will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that meets your unique needs and helps you achieve your running goals.

Common Running Injuries & Main Muscles Involved:

Runners are frequent acupuncture patients. Many come in to manage various injuries or muscle aches while they are training for races and marathons. It is important to be consistent in a training schedule and not increase mileage too quickly so the body can adapt to the increasing workload. It is hard to do that if injuries are getting in the way. Below are some of the more common muscle related running injuries and how acupuncture can help prevent them and promote faster recovery.

• Acupuncture for IT Band Syndrome

  • Gluteus Medius and Tensor Fascia Latae (TFL) imbalance

• Acupuncture for Knee Pain - Runner's Knee / Patella Pain & Tendonitis / Other knee pain

  • Quadriceps muscles that control patella tracking for anterior & lateral knee pain

  • Vastus medialis, adductor muscles and sartorius for medial knee pain

  • Hamstrings, popliteus, soleus for back of knee pain

• Acupuncture for Plantar Fasciitis & Foot Pain

  • Calf muscles (Gastocnemius, Soleus), Plantaris, Quadratus Plantae, Flexor Digitorum Longus, and Tibialis Posterior which attach to the heel and foot

• Acupuncture Achilles Tendonitis / Tendinopathy / Pain

  • Calf muscles (Gastocnemius, Soleus), Tibialis Posterior that attach to heel via achilles tendon

• Acupuncture for Shin splints

  • TIbialis Anterior, Tibialis Posterior, and Peroneal muscles which run along the shin area

• Acupuncture for Hip pain / Bursitis / Sciatica

  • Piriformis, Glute Medius/Minimus, TFL, Hamstrings, and Iliopsoas that connect to the hip and greater trochanter

Source: Travell, J. G., & Simons, D. G. (1999). Travell & Simons' myofascial pain and dysfunction: The trigger point manual (Vols. 1 & 2). Baltimore, MD: Williams & Watkins.

Image courtesy of Complete Anatomy

Image courtesy of Complete Anatomy

Root Cause of Most Running Injuries

The main reasons that most runners get injured are 1) structural/muscle imbalances and 2) overtraining. There are various phases of the running motion that involve opposing muscle groups in the body to move the body forward. When there is muscle weakness or tightness, another muscle or group of muscles needs to take on an added load to compensate for the weak muscle group. Since most muscles connect to bones, the body’s skeletal structure shifts to compensate for the change in length of the tightened muscles. A secondary effect is the lengthening of muscles that oppose the shortened muscle. Since running is a repetitive motion exercise, overtraining, or doing more miles than your body is ready for, will lead to injury because any muscle imbalances will be pushed passed their limits.

For a more detailed summary of muscles involved in running and common injuries please see these articles:

http://www.runnersblueprint.com/the-most-important-muscles-used-when-running/

https://runnersconnect.net/running-injuries/

How Can Acupuncture Can Help with Running Injuries?

Acupuncture helps release tight muscles so that the body’s structure can return to normal. It does so by needling the tight muscle directly and getting it to release and return to a more normal state. When muscles get tight and pull on the bones they attach to it creates pain.

An injury like runner’s knee is often caused by tight quad muscles because those muscles attach to the knee and more specifically to the patellar tendon that runs into the knee. When the quads are tight they pull on the knee and can move the tracking of the patella out of place which results in pain. Releasing a tight quad muscle will restore the muscle back to it’s normal length and help the patella move back into place which will reduce the pain due to the patella being slightly out of place.

Acupuncture can also help prevent running injuries by keeping muscles loose and identifying any possible areas of weakness or imbalance.

What to do besides Acupuncture

It is important to note that while acupuncture helps restore the body’s alignment back to normal to reduce pain and relax muscles, there is still a need to address the reason the injury occurred in the first place. This involves assessing and strengthening weak muscles that are not doing their job right during a run.

Working with a physical therapist or personal trainer can be important in preventing future running injuries because they can further assess muscle imbalances and suggest strengthening exercises. While getting injured is never fun, it gives us a better understanding of areas we need to strengthen to prevent future injuries. It can also be helpful to see an orthopedic doctor to get imaging (x-ray, MRI) to rule out any more serious structural injuries.

Please contact me to schedule an appointment or to discuss your condition. I specialize in acupuncture for pain and acupuncture for runners and athletes. I would love to help you feel better and get back out pain-free as soon as possible!