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While many runners suffer from occasional knee discomfort, the pain caused by frequent and improper loading in the middle leg can be debilitating. If you love to run but have recurring knee pain that is holding you back, your local physical therapist recommends a few ways to combat discomfort and strengthen your muscles. The Savoy Medical Center physical therapy team in Eunice and Mamou, LA, is dedicated to working with athletes of all ages and explains how to use exercise and stretching techniques stop knee pain after it starts. 

Each time your foot hits the ground on a run, you are absorbing the weight of your body. The longer you run, the more weight and stress your knees take on. This can eventually lead to conditions like IT band syndrome, patellar tendon pain, and runner’s knee. To take the load off your knees, you must improve your hip strength, core stability, balance, and stride.

While some patients work on exercises focused on these areas at home, many find rehabilitation is completed faster when they work with a physical therapy team. Through a series of interactive training and education sessions, physical therapists can teach you how to restore the parts of your body that will help distribute weight evenly. 

Mamou Physical TherapistBridges, planks, side planks, and hip abduction raises can increase hip strength, while flutter kicks, bird dogs, and crunches are all helpful for reinforcing your core. Rehabilitation experts can also improve your balance by having you stand on one leg for 30 seconds at a time. You can increase the exercise’s difficulty by completing it with your eyes closed.

To bolster your running technique, you will also be asked to increase the number of steps you take. This creates a forward motion, instantly decreasing the load on your knees. Before each run, it is important to stretch your hips, legs, and sides. You can also use a foam roller. This restores the mobility of the hip flexor and the quadriceps and helps keep knee pain away. 

Get back into top physical condition. To enroll in therapy with a local physical therapist, call Savoy Medical Center in Mamou and Eunice, LA, at (337) 468-5261. For more information about their rehabilitation center and geriatric physical therapy services, like them on Facebook

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