Running has increased in popularity over the last decade among both recreational and professional athletes. With this increase in popularity trends have emerged from shoe wear to running mechanics in an attempt to reduce the incidence of running injuries. Unfortunately, the risk of injury in running has not changed much despite this added attention by...
Plantar Fasciitis is a common overuse condition affecting many runners in Boulder. Authors report it is the 3rd most common running related injury and total costs involving plantar fasciitis cost over 375 million dollars per year (Taunton et al. 2002). Much of these costs can be attributed to the chronic nature of the condition reaching...
The iliotibial band is a long track of fascia and connective tissue running from the lateral hip muscles including the tensor fascia lata down to the lateral aspect of the knee. Contrary to popular belief and utilization, foam rolling is ineffective at changing the length or flexibility of this structure secondary to its’ density and...
Runners older than 50 years old have shown the greatest increase in participation rates among long distance runners. In a previous post we described the impact of aging on running speed. In each decade after age 40 a runner will lose approximately 10% of their VO2 max due to changes in their musculoskeletal and cardiovascular...
Our prior posts on dynamic warm ups have highlighted the benefits of these exercises on injury prevention and sports performance. Conversely, static stretching has been associated with decreased performance due to a reduction in the ability of the stretched muscle to contract and perform dynamically during sport movements. Clearly, the best option for both pro...
Hydration, electrolytes, salt and pickle water are all common internet solutions for muscle cramping. These remedies are based off the assumption that muscle cramping is secondary to imbalances in electrolyes (potassium, sodium) or hydration levels. In particular, when athletes are dehydrated there is a decrease in the water content, concentrating many elements in the bloodstream...
Mend Physical Therapy has previously written on the prevention and treatment of running injuries in multiple prior blog posts. Running is very common form of exercise in the United States and here Boulder County. The vast majority of runners will sustain an injury in the upcoming year which will prevent them from training or competing...
Our previous blog post detailed the differences in biomechanics between foot strike patterns in runners. There are clear bio mechanical differences between utilizing a forefoot and rear foot strike pattern and these are important for gait retraining and injury risk. Obviously, the foot is the first part of the body to strike the ground in...
Aerobic exercise has a tremendous impact on our morbidity and mortality due to its’ ability to positively impact our emotional, mental, and physical health. In particular, the cardiovascular system undergoes dramatic improvements in response to aerobic exercise. These benefits are noted in many of the variables we track clinically including blood pressure, VO2 Max (aerobic...
Running is one of the most common forms of exercise due to its’ wide appeal, minimal equipment needs, and aerobic benefits. Around Boulder it is not uncommon to see runners of all ability levels and ages enjoying many of the great outdoor running paths and trails. Prior research has shown older runners run at slower...