How to Manage Your Joint Pain as a Runner

There are plenty of stories about athletes burning out their bodies for the sake of their sport, but these don’t show the aftermath of what it’s like to live with chronic pain.

If you want to preserve your health and maintain fitness as you age, you need to be conscious of wear-and-tear now. By the time it builds up later in life, it’s too late. Here’s how to manage joint pain as a runner and protect your future. 

At Advantage Spinal Dynamics & Innovative Medicine in Meridian, Idaho, our team of experienced medical practitioners treats all types of joint pain, including conditions unique to runners.

The line between acute and chronic

We tend to classify injuries and conditions as acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term), but that begs the question: Where’s the line drawn? When does acute pain become chronic, and how do you manage pain as it develops? 

If you experience joint pain, you might feel you’re running out of time as an athlete or should stop now. That isn’t necessarily true. Joint pain is often simply a sign of inflammation, and inflammation can be alleviated, prevented, and managed. 

By pushing harder or stopping entirely, you could sabotage yourself. Added pressure only worsens joint wear-and-tear, and remaining motionless leads to stiff joints. If you want to improve your future and continue running, you have to stay in motion but reduce impact. 

Managing joint pain as a runner

Before you can treat pain, you must understand its nature. There are many causes of joint pain, including arthritis, old injuries, and repetitive strain. If you don’t have a definitive diagnosis for your pain, you should seek that out first. 

Once your doctor knows what’s causing your joint pain, they can put together a treatment plan that addresses your needs and helps you manage your pain. Our team often recommends a combination that includes several of the following treatments: 

• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to interrupt pain signals
• Decompression therapy to stretch the joints
• Hyaluronic acid injections for lubrication
• Red light laser therapy to promote healing
• Trigger point injections to reduce acute pain 

A specialist can also help you find ways to work out in a safe, productive manner. Many athletes, especially runners, increase stress on their bodies with bad exercise habits.

If you regularly run on pavement, wear improper footwear, and overexert yourself, your joints pay the price in the end. 

Managing your pain means stopping it at the source and not masking it with painkillers while more damage accumulates.

To learn more about joint pain and improve how you run, schedule a consultation with the team at Advantage Spinal Dynamics & Innovative Medicine. Call 208-213-7963 or request an appointment online today.