Running Tips: “Do I Run- Or Do I Rest?” (After An Injury)

I often get questions about returning to activities after injury recovery. Not uncommon for runners……..

“Although I’m over my ankle injury now and know I can return back to exercise safely, I still have a lack of confidence when I set out to run. When I run I have it in the back of my mind that landing my foot in a slightly awkward position, or even slipping slightly could cause my injury to flare up all over again. So I end up slowing down, or turning round all together and walking home even though my ankle is completely fine. So here’s what I want to know… how can you be sure whether to go for a run or not? The fear of setting off my ankle pain again is getting in the way of my weekly runs!  DO  you got any suggestions?”

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My answer is, “Of course!” Let me start by saying that there’s not a single runner, or person I’ve ever met, who doesn’t at some point fear an old injury recurring, If you run on a weekly basis and pain flares up it means you’re going to be missing out on social runs, your favorite weekly exercises or the endorphin rush that comes with running – so who is to blame you for having this fear! It is very common among many active runners and athletes in general. 

So what can you do to stop the fear from taking over?

Simple!…  Once you’ve recovered from your injury that was stopping you from running in the first place, and you decide to get back into running again – my advice is to TAKE IT SLOW.

The more time you have off, the more gradually you need to get back into your training.

Take this for example…

Say you’ve had two to three weeks off from running because of an injured foot –  I’d suggest to go for shorter runs 2-3 times a week with plenty of rest in between,  and then, week after week slowly build it up to what you were doing before.

So when you return to running, start back with a few short easy runs to get your ankle and body used to the load on your body again, and to be sure that your ankle feels strong enough before you start to push yourself…which will help you overcome any fear you may have. 

…And if you do feel a twinge or symptomatic soreness, ice it as soon as possible.

I see so many people not giving themselves the best chance of staying active and healthy, simply because they don’t receive the best advice – and it’s not their fault either, as most of the time you get the generic medical advice of ice, do a few exercises, and rest for a few weeks.

But what you should be receiving are more substantial things like:

• Exactly what you should expect when you return back to being active
• What you’re likely to feel when you hit the pavement
• All of the warning signs of an injury to look out for (and what each one means)

So the chances of you “running in fear” are reduced, A LOT!

So to sum it up…

You can run if… your ankle is pain free (even if your muscles are a little achy), so long as there’s no “pain” that’s affecting you, you’re good to run!

You should rest if… you feel a sharp pain come on that doesn’t ease off, even when you slow down, then apply ice right away for 10 minutes at a time.

When it comes to your health, fitness and lifestyle, it’s important to listen to expert advice – that way you can be sure to get back to running much quicker and safer like you deserve.

Dean Volk, PT, Carolinas Leading Pain Relief Expert

Sciatica - Why Pain In Leg

By: Carolinas Leading Back Specialist, Dean Volk, PT, MPT

 “If I’ve got back pain — Why am I getting a shooting pain down the back of my leg?”.

This is a very common symptom we see in our PT clinic. In fact I would be extremely surprised if at least 10 people didn’t walk, (or hobble in with severe pain it causes), into the clinic each week with this very same complaint. I, myself, have suffered with this discomfort and know exactly how much it can get in the way of daily activities and hobbies. The first response to this pain by most is to go get on a heating pad and take meds to ease the pain and possibly a few exercises.

For some the response is to simply rest and hope for the pain to subside. Resting, generally for the lower back, is a big “no-no”, and medicine, although it might reduce the pain at first, is unlikely to solve the underlying root cause of this discomfort. Also, do you really want to have to take tablets every single day to simply mask a problem? Let me tell you, this is not a problem that can be swept under the rug!

There can be a few reasons why someone experiences a shooting/sciatic pain down the back of their leg and it is my job to identify through a thorough assessment what the cause might be.

One of the most common causes I see for this debilitating pain is due to a “slipped disc”. Most clients I see with this problem have heard of the term, “slipped disc”, however very few understand exactly what it is and why PT is vital in ensuring a quick recovery. Now, to understand why, you need to bear with me, (ANATOMY SPOILER ALERT!!):

What is a slipped disc?

Small fluid filled sacs (disc’s) sit between the bones in your back. I find it’s better to think of them as little jelly doughnuts, (little potentially painful jam doughnuts). Their purpose is to protect the bones in your back as you move about. As you bend forward, the discs are pinched at the front and the fluid inside the discs goes to the back. For example, imagine if you squeeze a jelly doughnut, the jelly inside will move away from where you are squeezing. Now imagine if you are in a job where you are always bending forwards/leaning forwards/picking up objects.

Eventually this repetitive squeezing of the disc will cause the wall of the disc to wear down and, just as if you squeeze a jelly doughnut too hard, the fluid will come out. However, instead of sticky jelly fingers that can be licked clean, you have a very painful shooting sciatic sensation, as the disc presses on the nerve (sciatic), that travels all the way down the back of your leg.

The problem if you completely rest this is that not only does the disc stay “slipped”, the muscles that control your lower back become weak, therefore providing less support to the already problematic area.

Physical therapy is therefore vital and can assist in the recovery of this painful problem.

Common treatment methods I use include total motion release activities, along with mobilizing the joints to encourage the disc to move off the nerves, deep tissue massage to loosen the muscles that become very tight to protect your lower back, as well as invaluable exercises and stretching advice. All these treatment methods are specific to you, as no two back problems are ever identical. Please – Don’t suffer any longer than you have too!

For more information, visit us at www.volkpt.com, or request a FREE Back Report at www.volkpt.com/back-pain, or watch my sciatica video at: https://youtu.be/6OTVahoa_8c

Back Pain: The Real Problem With Sciatica And What To Do About It

By Carolinas Leading Back Specialist, Dean Volk

Recently, here at Volk Physical Therapy, we have seen an increased number of people suffering from back pain, but not just any back pain – the most severe of all in my humble opinion, “sciatica”. There’s only one word to describe the pain that people feel when truly suffering from sciatica, and that is “horrendous”!

In case you’re not familiar with what it is – you’d recognize it by having a severe pain running right down the back of your leg and possible as far down as your toes. Often times it is made much worse when you sit, though standing may be just as painful.  And there’s the real, true, underlying cause of most peoples’ trouble: sitting. How much sitting have you been doing lately? 

Because it’s the time of the year when you’re wanting more than ever to get outside, do some yardwork, and start doing more and more, due to the beautiful weather recently, you start to do too much! Then when you go to rest and sit down, things can just get unbearable. The sitting afterwards causes amazingly sharp pain down the back of your leg. The siting adds pressure to your back and your sciatic nerve, and possibly, a disc at the bottom of your back will give up and the fluid inside it touches the nerve which runs down your leg – AKA sciatica. 

It can cause pins and needles in your foot, numbness, and a cold sensation as well as the pain – and unfortunately, it’s often so painful that nothing in the way of medication – can ease it. 

Despite what you may be tempted to do, and that is “rest it away” there are things that can be done other than rest and painkillers, and just wishing for it to go.

Physical Therapy CAN help!!!! Sometimes, unfortunately, it makes it worse before it gets better – but it does get better. Specific exercises are needed too, and when followed as given, sciatica issues can minimize and you can be back doing what you love, whatever that may be in a very short time. Limiting the amount you sit can help too. And there’s something to note – I see a lot of people sitting in my clinic with back pain and they tell me that “sitting doesn’t make it worse” – but what they’re doing is sitting in a modified or slouched way that means they’re just avoiding the pain – making the whole thing last longer and often leaving the person with an awkward looking posture long after the back trouble has gone. 

So, to sum up todays “health lesson”...Sciatica is a painful and life limiting condition. But, unless you’re in the small 5% of people who nothing can be done other than surgery, there ARE things you can do. And I think what is best understand about sciatica – and something that should be communicated a lot more by health professionals trying to help people suffering – is that often when you’re trying to make sciatica better in the long run, an increase in pain in the short run is normal. Not nice. But par for the course! And in the end, will mean a much speedier return to better health than sitting and praying for time, popping more and more painkillers!

Want more back pain tips? Follow this link: www.volkpt.com/back-pain. Or, if you need help right away, please feel free to call Volk Physical Therapy, at 704-455-1172 and ask how to set up an appointment at one of our convenient locations in Concord or Harrisburg, NC as well as Fort Mill, SC.