Should I visit a local chiropractor, MD, trainer, or physical therapist?
If you are having musculoskeletal pain (somewhere in your muscles or joints) or any other type of pain that is not brought on by activity, it is a good idea to see your physician. If you are having musculoskeltal pain/ache that is only brought on by running or sporting activity and stops when you rest, your biomechanics (how your body moves) may be the cause. Therefore, assessing how your body is working during that activity, especially running, is of utmost importance. A video running analysis is the best way to analyze your running mechanics. If you are having musculoskeletal pain that is of chronic nature, associated with your running, and modifying your running gait or performing specific exercises that you have found online is not easing your pain with running, it may be time to see your physical therapist. Physical therapists are movement and body specialists. They not only can assess and address spinal mobility issues, but are the ideal practitioner to assess how your body moves and pick apart muscle, ligament, tendon, and fascia restrictions or looseness issues and address weaknesses, abnormal muscle firing/timing patterns and return to you to your sport or recreation. Physical therapists spend at least 7 years mastering how the body works, moves and responds to treatment. Physical therapists may also specialize and become board certified in a specific area by continuing their specialty education which may include a residency or extensive time spent in that specialty practice setting, including Sports. Find a physical therapist that meets your specific needs. Physical therapists also treat you only when you need it, and will let you know if there is a different type of practitioner that you should see instead. Our goal is to make you your own body expert so that you only need to see us for check ups and you don’t need to rely on us constantly in order to continue feeling good. If you don’t already have a regular physical therapist, you can find yours at www.apta.org/findapt .