Runners: Sometimes the Problem Isn’t Where You Feel It

Runners are pretty good at putting up with niggles.

The knee that only complains after 8km.
The Achilles that is stiff for the first ten minutes.
The hip that feels fine running but lets you know about it afterwards.

So you stretch it. Roll it. Rest it. Change your trainers.

It settles.

Then it comes back.

One of the things we often explain to runners at MERN is that where you feel the problem is not necessarily where it started.

Running is a whole-body movement

Every time your foot hits the ground, the ground effectively pushes back.

This is known as ground reaction force.

Your body then has to absorb, control and transfer that force through the foot, ankle, knee, hip, pelvis and spine — before doing it all over again on the next stride.

And the faster or further you run, the more times your body has to repeat that process.

If one part of that chain is not moving or functioning as well as it could, another area may end up doing more of the work.

That niggling knee?

We still examine the knee. But we also want to know what is happening above and below it.

And your big toe matters more than you might think

This is one of our favourite things to show runners.

As your heel lifts and you move towards pushing off, your big toe bends upwards. This helps tighten the plantar fascia underneath the foot, raises the arch and creates a more stable foot for propulsion.

This is called the windlass mechanism.

If your big toe or foot is not moving particularly well, it can change the way you push off the ground.

And your body is very clever.

It will usually find another way.

The question is: what else is having to compensate?

That is why looking only at the bit that hurts can sometimes miss part of the story.

What does chiropractic have to do with running?

Probably more than most runners realise.

When we assess a runner at MERN, we are interested in how the whole chain is working together — from the feet right up through the ankles, knees, hips, pelvis, spine and neck.

We look at things such as joint movement, mobility, muscle function and how your body is managing the demands you are putting through it.

Chiropractic care may then form one part of helping address restrictions or problems we find, alongside advice, exercises and changes to training where appropriate.

It is not about promising to make you run faster.

It is about helping your body move and function as well as it can for the job you are asking it to do.

A few things runners can do themselves

Do not ignore the small stuff.
A recurring niggle that appears at roughly the same point in every run is worth paying attention to.

Give your feet some attention.
Your feet are your contact with the ground. Mobility through the foot and big toe matters.

Strength matters too.
Running more is not always the answer. Appropriate strength work can help your body manage the loads involved in running.

Mix things up.
Same route, same pace, same surface, week after week means very similar forces being repeated again and again.

Recovery is training.
Rest days are not wasted days. Your body needs time to adapt to the work you are asking it to do.

You do not have to be an elite runner

This is important.

You might be training for a marathon.

You might be chasing a 5K PB.

Or you might just want to get around your local parkrun on Saturday morning without that knee starting to grumble halfway round.

The principles are the same.

At MERN, our approach to runners is to look beyond the obvious.

Because sometimes the most interesting part of a knee problem is the foot.

And sometimes that stubborn hip has us looking somewhere completely different.

Running is a whole-body movement. It makes sense to assess it that way.

If you are a runner and something keeps niggling, keeps returning or simply does not feel quite right when you run, get in touch with the MERN team and we can take a look at what might be contributing.