To Run or Not To Run
According to Running USA and the NSGA there has been a 70% increase in the number of runners in the past decade with over 42 million active runners/joggers within the United States. So, odds are, if you are reading this blog you or someone you know very well is a runner. Now, the concern is not if you are a runner or not, but what do you do or where do you turn when you become hurt/or injured? How do you prevent an injury from occurring? It is estimated that over 65% of all runners will become injured at least once a year, so the chances of you injuring yourself while running in the next year is pretty high.At First Choice Physical Therapy, assessment and treatment of running injuries at all levels of fitness, from the competitive cross country runner or triathlete, to the mother of 3 who just wants to check the box for completing a marathon from her bucket list, is a daily occurrence and a specialty. We pride ourselves on being the premier clinic for runners in Northwest Florida utilizing time tested techniques and strategies to get our runners back fast and keeping them injury free.
Our system is not about treating you with a couple of exercises and then throwing you back out on the road once your pain-free, only to return to the clinic due to re-injury within the next 6 months. It is about education, starting with a functional movement assessment, footwear education, self treatment techniques, and training techniques to keep you running injury free once our job is done. Our system also focuses on instruction in multiple running gait patterns depending upon your objective of either accelerating, decelerating, or maintaining speed. We believe running is not a one size fits all activity and must be tailored to each individual and their fitness level.
Over the next few months, we will be doing a series of blogs to provide you with professional guidance and a little insight as to how we treat and what you can do to keep yourself healthy and running for many years to come. The following are topics we will cover:
1) What is a RUNNING injury.
Does pain mean I have a running injury.
Is running your problem? No.
2) When can I run again?
How do you return to running
What is too much
How do I reduce my risk of injury
3) To strength train or not
Do I need to go to the gym
Are fitness classes ok
4) Are your shoes working for or against you
Are they fashion shoes or running shoes
When do I need a new pair of shoes
5) Minimalist shoes/barefoot running… For real, fad, or farce?
Stop complaining, be proactive, and schedule your running evaluation today!!
Brent Holtgrewe, LATC, PES
Athletic Trainer
Athletic Trainer
Brett Frank, DPT
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Doctor of Physical Therapy
First Choice Physical Therapy
www.1stchoicept.com
Excellence Drives Us-Passion Guides Us
850-248-1600
Is there a fall in your future?
We have all made the assumption that balance degenerates as we get older and fall risk is primarily due to age related changes. However, loss of balance and decreased gait stability are not necessarily inevitable throughout the aging process. There are key factors to look for which may contribute to a fall. Common factors include dizziness, apprehension, taking more that one medication (poly pharmacy), prolonged bed rest or inactivity and loss of strength in the legs and feet. Falls are not typically the result of a single factor but rather a combination of factors, that is why it is important to be proactive and control the variables that you can. If you feel like your balance is not what is used to be, come see us at First Choice Physical Therapy where our therapists can restore strength in your legs, improve coordination, balance and reduce the likelihood of a fall being in your future.Scott Champagne, PT
Heel Pain!
Do you have heel pain that bothers you when you get out of bed in the morning? Are you constantly standing at work? You can’t exercise because you’re afraid your foot is going to hurt after exercise or the next morning? You might have plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is a repetitive use injury that occurs for several reasons whether it is because of wearing old, worn out shoes, weight gain, or a sudden return to activity. At First Choice, we treat plantar fasciitis almost every day, usually with great results. After following our clinical treatment protocols and home exercises, patients are able to get back to work, running, or other exercise without receiving injections or worrying about surgery. Occasionally, patients will require orthotic fabrication which we do in house, however, the majority of the patients we treat do not require them to return to activity. Our therapists will also look at the patient’s running shoes to determine if they are the correct type of shoe for that patient. If this sounds like you or someone you know, contact First Choice Physical Therapy and get back to living.
Let us try first… and save money!
Within the medical realm, there has been quite a bit of discussion regarding patients’ significant profit from the direct access to physical therapy in the last few weeks. Numerous great points are made in a Washington Post article “Physical Therapy vs Imaging” (see previous blog post). This article lists several ways in which patients can profit from seeing a physical therapist before going through various doctors offices.If you were not yet aware, you can come to First Choice, first. This will save you time, money and potentially even surgery. Call us today for your evaluation!