Running Injuries?Check your shoes!
Are you gearing up for the Vancouver Marathon and find yourself experiencing some joint pain. Has this pain slowly crept up on you and progressively worsening? Do you find yourself running more hills than you would like, because you live here in the heart of Burnaby Heights? We know from having our physiotherapy office here in Burnaby, that there are indeed a lot of hills here! There are a few simple steps you can take to try and resolve your pain before coming in to see the physiotherapist.
Check your Footwear
Firstly, check your shoes. Are you using the correct footwear and are they still providing you with the necessary amount of support. Most shoes have a life span of 500 miles and after this milestone the shock absorption aspect starts to break down. Take a look at your foot and see what kind of shape it is. Do you have particularly high arches, flat feet or even a bunion? There are different types of shoes for various foot types and differ for each activity. Those days when you could go to the store and select the most appealing looking pair isn’t going to cut it if you plan to use them for serious running. If you have a high arch you most likely underpronate, which causes your body to not absorb shock as well thus using a neutral shoe may be the most appropriate. Neutral shoes have a softer midsole which encourages pronation versus a stability or motion controlled shoe which offers more medial support. Stability/motion controlled shoes are for people who over pronate from the added midsole support. If you have severe pronation, a bunion formation, or collapsed arches you may need orthotics to help correct this. Orthotics can be custom made or you can buy them over the counter. If you already use orthotics in your shoes wearing a stability/motion control shoes is probably too much. You already have the orthotic to help prevent you from overpronating adding extra support might be over kill. Your feet still need to pronate to help with shock absorption. Not sure if you can tell what type of foot you have or have questions, come in to our Burnaby Physiotherapy Clinic for a consultation. We can examine your mechanics and give you the appropriate recommendations. Physiotherapists are university trained health care professionals who can help you resolve or manage your orthopedic and sport injuries. We also suggest you go to a reputable running shoe store if you need to get a new pair of shoes.