Experiencing ankle pain, knee pain or hip pain with running?

Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise, but it can also take a toll on your body. 

Have you been experiencing ankle, knee, or hip pain when you run? Here are some things that might be contributing to that!

Joint restrictions and/or muscular imbalances up or down the body can often be the cause of pain, but fortunately those problems can be addressed with a physical therapist.

Ankle pain

If you’ve had an ankle sprain or fracture in the past, don’t discount that as being a potential cause for your pain. Restricted ankle joint mobility and ankle instability are common issues among active adults, including runners. Many of the patients I’ve treated have sprained at least one ankle multiple times.

Without treatment for an ankle sprain, even after the pain is gone, you are more likely to sprain it again!  Your body will find the path of least resistance, so if something doesn’t move or moves too much, something else will move more, or less, respectively, which can lead to injury.

Hip pain

Hip mobility and strength greatly influences the torque that goes to your knee. If you aren’t working on those, you need to!  Many runners with knee pain actually have weak glutes and deep hip external rotator strength.

Avid runners are often guilty of wanting to only run; you know who you are! Cross training is critical to prevent injury for all parts of your body. One way to help prevent injury is to train your core and stabilizing muslces to help you run more efficiently. We developed a custom core training program just for runners, with new exercises delivered daily to an app on your phone. Improve your core strength for just a $1 a day! 

Remember, where you feel pain is not always the source of the pain. If you’re having pain, but not sure why or what to do about it, schedule a PT evaluation to discuss what you can do to feel and move better!