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Hip and knee
Running injury treatment in Shirley, MA
The short answer
Most running injuries happen when training load goes up faster than the body can adapt. Too many miles too soon, not enough strength, and changes in shoes, surfaces or hills are the usual reasons. With a smarter training plan and targeted strength work, most runners get back to running without pain, often without stopping completely.
On this page
What usually causes running injuries
Running is simple, but it asks a lot of your legs. Most injuries follow a few familiar patterns.
- Runner's knee
- An ache around or behind the kneecap, worse on hills, stairs and after sitting. Usually a sign the hips and thighs are not sharing the load.
- Shin splints
- Pain along the inside of the shin bone that builds during runs. Common when mileage jumps quickly.
- IT band pain
- A sharp pain on the outside of the knee that shows up at the same point in every run, often on downhills.
- Achilles and foot pain
- A stiff, sore Achilles or heel pain first thing in the morning. Both are common in runners and respond well to the right plan.
- Stress reactions
- Bone that is getting overloaded. It needs to be caught early, so pinpoint bone pain should always be checked.
When to get it checked
Get checked if pain changes how you run, lasts more than a week or two, keeps coming back, or is getting worse from run to run. See a doctor right away if you have pinpoint pain on a bone that hurts when you walk, at rest or at night, since that can be a stress fracture, or if you cannot put weight on your leg. Go to the emergency room for severe calf or shin pain with tight swelling, numbness or weakness in the foot during or after a run.
What you can do at home right now
These are safe starting points for most people. They are not a replacement for a proper evaluation.
- Cut back, do not stop
- Lower your miles and pace and skip hills and speed work for now. Mild discomfort that settles by the next day is usually okay.
- Strengthen the hips and calves
- Bridges, side lying leg raises and slow calf raises build the muscles that absorb the pounding of every stride.
- Build back slowly
- When you add miles, add them gradually and change only one thing at a time, like distance, speed, shoes or terrain.
How we treat running injuries at Whole Health Solutions
Your physical therapist is with you for the whole appointment, start to finish. We look at your training, your strength and how you move, find why the injury happened, and build a plan that keeps you running where possible.
01
Relieve
Hands on care, dry needling or shockwave for stubborn tendon pain when they fit, and changes to your training so the pain calms down.
02
Rebuild
Strength and control for the hips, thighs, calves and feet so your body can handle the miles again.
03
Perform
A step by step return to running, then back to your goal race or your favorite trails. When you are ready, our athletic performance coaches and personal trainers help you get faster and stay healthy.
04
Thrive
Stay with the team that knows you. Check ins, training and a quick tune up whenever something new comes up, so this stays in the past.
Thrive is not a finish line. When life brings something new, the loop starts again with the same team.
How dry needling and shockwave therapy can help
For running injuries, your physical therapist may use dry needling and shockwave therapy to speed things up. They will tell you on your first visit if it is a good fit.
Dry needling
A very thin needle placed into a tight, guarded muscle helps it let go, so pain calms down and you can move and strengthen again. Always paired with hands on care and strength work.
Learn about dry needlingShockwave therapy
Sound waves delivered to a stubborn tendon or tissue help restart healing when it has stalled for months. Always paired with the strength work that keeps it from coming back.
Learn about shockwave therapyCommon exercises for running injuries
These are a few of the exercises our team often uses for running injuries. Tap one to watch.
Please read first. These are not right for everyone. If a move brings on sharp pain, numbness or tingling, stop and talk to one of our physical therapists before you keep going.
Learn from our team
Short, free videos from our clinicians on questions we hear about running injuries all the time.
Read more from our team
Blog posts and newsletter tips from our clinicians that go with running injuries.
Hear it from a client
Hannah on the run her back would not let her finish.
Read what Hannah said
Hannah, "What made you walk in the door?" I had been dealing with back issues. When you're dealing with something that causes you pain, you kind of hit a wall, or you stop because you don't know how to do something that's not hurting, and it's discouraging. I kind of had a wake-up moment where I was doing a run, and I could not complete it because my back, I was having such pain. My mom had mentioned Peter again, and I was like, "You know what? I just need to finally make an appointment." I do not regret it for a second.
Talk to a physical therapist
A free call to tell us what is going on and see if we are the right fit.
Common questions about running injuries
Should I keep running with shin splints?
Often you can keep running at a lower level if the pain stays mild and settles quickly. If it hurts to walk, hurts at rest, or there is one very tender spot on the bone, stop and get it checked for a stress fracture.
How do I get rid of runner's knee?
Most people improve by cutting back on hills and long runs for a while and strengthening the hips and thighs. A physical therapist can find what is overloading your knee and build a plan to fix it.
Will new running shoes fix my pain?
Sometimes a worn out shoe is part of the problem, but shoes alone rarely fix an injury. Training changes and strength work usually matter more.
Do I need a referral for running injuries?
No. You can book directly with us. Most of our clients do use their insurance for reimbursement of our physical therapy services. We go over everything in the discovery meeting.
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Everyone is different, so the best next step is an evaluation with one of our physical therapists.
Visit us
Serving 22+ nearby towns and beyond
2 Shaker Road, Suite C200, Shirley, MA 01464. Monday to Thursday, 5:00 am to 8:00 pm, Friday, 5:00 am to 3:00 pm, and Saturday, 6:00 am to 1:00 pm.