runner Archives - American PT

Winter is characterized by cold, early darkness and inconsistent weather conditions. These conditions often interfere with running training and force regular runners to take long breaks during the cold months. Whereas in summer long laps are performed after work, in the winter regeneration phase the focus is increasingly on short but effective runs and additional indoor training.

We have developed a sophisticated training plan to guide you through the winter months and treat minor instabilities from the previous season that can rob you of your strength and performance and in the long term lead to dysfunctions and injuries. In order to find and eliminate these dysfunctions, we pay increased emphasis on your breathing, movement and fitness.

Breathing

Before we can move properly, we must breathe properly. Breathing gives us stability and at the same time guarantees full mobility. A dysfunctional breathing can cause painful tension and back pain. The result is pain, careful movement and lost training days. To avoid this, we work specifically on your breathing technique for more energy and performance.

Movement

Movement is the foundation of all sports. To move freely, we depend on mobility and stability. If any of these are missing, energy leaks occur. They rob us of a lot of strength and lead to unnecessary wear and tear of our joints and ligaments. With the so-called runner’s TÜV we can recognize injuries and dysfunctions and correct them with specific exercises.

Fitness

In order to achieve optimal performance in training and competition, we need to be sufficiently fit. Running requires strength and stability in our posture, a lot of endurance to maintain this strength over several kilometers and explosive power when the finish line is in sight. During the quiet winter months, the focus for runners should therefore be on stabilizing the back and trunk muscles, so-called core training, functional and joint-gentle muscle building and fascial training to prevent shortening of the tendons and muscles in the legs.

First we treat all pain and movement restrictions (e.g. blockages) with
Chiropractic, dry needling, fascial treatment and various physiotherapeutical
techniques.
Next we test breathing, movement and fitness. In case of dysfunctions, corrective
exercises offered.
If we can‘t find any dysfunctions, we offer individual training, training plans and group training to prepare for the next season.

American PT will help you enjoy running again and optimize your performance so you can get back on track in spring.

Yours Michael Boettcher

Many of our customers complain about knee pain while running. They often describe the pain as dull around the knee joint or as a twinge at the kneecap. Most often, the pain occurs during running or immediately following exercise. Clients often try stretching exercises or using a fascia roller to loosen the surrounding muscles and get rid of the pain that way. Unfortunately, the pain can be persistent and, in the worst cases, force them to take a longer break.

Causes of knee pain

The most common reason for knee pain is overuse of the lower leg extensor muscle quadriceps. If the muscle is used too frequently, so-called trigger points develop. These are small nodules in the muscle that have poor blood supply and cause a characteristic pain pattern. If there is overuse of the quadriceps, the pain tends to feel dull and is located around the knee. If the fascia is stuck or tight, the pain tends to be located on the sides of the knee or just below the kneecap (patellar tendinitis). In both varieties, the pain occurs during and after running.

Our holistic approach

Our strategy for this situation is first to lower the tension in the muscles by dry needling and massage. This is done by working on the fascia with a special tool to loosen it up and release any adhesions. With special tests we can determine if the connection between the nerve and the muscle is working properly. If this connection is inactive, the muscle will be overloaded or misloaded again and the discomfort will return even after the therapy is finished.

Functional Movement Screen

Once we have the local discomfort under control, we do a Functional Movement Screen and look at the patient’s overall movement amplitude. This gives us the opportunity to identify and target further faulty movement patterns. Through corrective exercises at home, discomfort and thus pain can be prevented in the future. Yours Michael Boettcher

The American PT concept for runners regeneration