Summer and fall are peak times for marathon training. As mileage increases so does the risk for injury. Many runners are forced to pause their hard work due to common injuries such as runner’s knee, plantar fasciitis and shin splints. The causes are many and range from increasing mileage too soon, running in old shoes, weak muscle strength or structural weaknesses in the hips, knees and ankles.
No matter the cause, the solution is usually the same – rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE) coupled with anti-inflammatory medication and a possible brace or splint. Every runner knows that the last thing he wants to do during training is sit out due to an injury. Thankfully, Prolotherapy offers a successful, non surgical alternative to the common treatments for running injuries.
Runners’ injuries respond well to Prolotherapy because Prolotherapy addresses the root cause of the pain, which usually stems from structural weaknesses or cartilage degeneration from overuse. At Caring Medical, runners receive a physical examination by our Prolotherapy doctor Ross Hauser that identifies the root cause of the pain. Dr. Hauser then uses Prolotherapy injections to induce inflammation around the specific area of weakness.
Runner’s Knee
Runner’s knee is often diagnosed as chondromalacia patella or patallefemoral syndrome. Dr. Hauser performs Prolotherapy to the knee which induces inflammation to stimulate the immune system and bring in healing factors to the knee cartilage and surrounding knee ligaments. Runners are encouraged to cycle and cross train throughout the course of treatment. Dr. Hauser gives specific guidance on resuming running, along with a nutritional program to maximize healing, thus many athletes are able to get back to training and run race they have their hopes set on.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis involves painful inflammation on the bottom of the foot, usually in the heel. It can occur due to improper training, weakness of the foot, or running in old shoes. Dr. Hauser gives Prolotherapy injections to the bottom of the foot to strengthen the fascia and relieve pain. Being a sports medicine doctor, Dr. Hauser often recommends other ways to strengthen the fascia such as walking barefoot, wearing sandals, or using toe stretchers. He gives specific guidance for cross training and running.
Shin Splints
Shin splints are known as medial tibial stress syndrome and can plague runners in their dominant leg. The common treatment involves rest and use of sports cream to relieve pain. Resting from training is hard for any athlete, and it often does more harm than good. As with other injuries, shin splints result from specific ligament weaknesses and cartilage degeneration in the shin. The only way to strengthen these ligaments and generate cartilage growth is through Prolotherapy. This is one of the most common running injuries that we see at Caring Medical and Dr. Hauser has treated many of them! Both Dr. Hauser and I have received Prolotherapy for shin splints making a very disappointing, frustrating, and painful condition resolve much more quickly!
In other words, traditional treatments for running injuries often miss the root problem, causing the runner to cease training and risk dropping out of the race. Prolotherapy addresses the real problem, leading to safe and effective healing, allowing runners to get back to what they love. If you are plagued by injury or you are starting to feel an injury coming on, don’t rest until you give us a call. Prolotherapy can get you back in the race.
Click here for our research paper on cartilage regeneration in knees published in the Journal of Prolotherapy 2010.
Summer and fall are peak times for marathon training. As mileage increases so does the risk for