Running is a popular way to stay fit, and doing it outside can help you take in some of the amazing scenery in your area. However, running can also cause your legs and ankles to feel painful after a hard workout.
Unfortunately, there is a large percentage of runners who will end up dealing with pain caused by an injury; one study reveals that about 50% of regular runners will develop an injury of some kind every year. Feeling pain in your ankles and legs after running can dampen your enthusiasm. However, physical therapists can help you find ways to reduce your post-run pain and even help prevent it from happening.
These two therapy methods can help reduce ankle and leg pain after running
Physical therapists have been trained to treat issues with the human musculoskeletal system. This system includes the ligaments, tendons, muscles and bones that make up your ankles. Their in-depth knowledge of this system also allows physical therapists to pinpoint the issue that’s causing your ankle or leg pain after running. Then, they can use specific therapy methods to treat your pain, such as:
- Active Release Techniques® — This therapy method involves your physical therapist applying pressure to ankle soft tissue with their hands. The pressure is intended to reduce tension and break up scar tissue from old or healing injuries.
Reducing the tension in this tissue can also help improve ankle range of motion and reduce pain. One study reports that Active Release Techniques helped improve ankle range of motion (ROM) by nearly 5 degrees immediately after treatment.
- Graston Technique® — The Graston Technique is also designed to break up scar tissue. But this technique uses special tools to apply the pressure to the targeted soft tissue. These tools allow your physical therapist to treat deeper levels of tissue. They also help therapists apply more pressure to the area than they could with their hands. A study of this therapy method reveals that four weeks of it helped patients with ankle instability improve ankle ROM and reduce ankle pain.
SOL PT offers help for ankle and leg pain after running
You don’t have to continue dealing with ankle and leg pain after your run. Our team at SOL Physical Therapy can help you find ways to reduce your post-run pain. We’ll start by evaluating you to uncover any underlying issues that may be causing your pain. Then, our specialists will create an individualized therapy plan for you, and this plan will be designed to offer benefits like:
- Addressing underlying leg and ankle issues.
- Reducing post-run pain.
- Educating you on better gait mechanics.
- Teaching you how to warm up and stretch more effectively.
- Helping to prevent future running injuries.
We can also help you get therapy for ankle issues right in your home thanks to our virtual therapy service.
Contact our team today for more information about how we can help runners or to schedule an initial appointment.
