Should you stop running if your feet, legs, hips, or other body part are nagging at you?
Like everything else in the rehab world…it depends.
If your pain is sharp, unrelenting, burning, or something just doesn’t feel right…yeah, stop running in the short term.
If your pain is more of a ‘muscles working really hard’ type discomfort — general soreness in the limbs, more dull than sharp, NOT burning/shooting/stabbing — you might be ok to keep running.
How can you know which way to lean?
Your first call should be to a physical therapist.
If you live in the Durham, NC area and are looking for a physical therapist, I’m your girl. I’m a certified running gait analyst, run coach, and an orthopedic specialist.
You can book your free consultation call via the calendar below, and I’ll be in touch personally!
And if you felt like this blog post was too short, that’s kind of the point. It would be irresponsible for me to give more examples of times when you can keep running, because what if your situation is more serious than I’m able to cover here? What if I tell you to stop running but you’re actually safe to do so? Be careful with internet advice, and always establish care with a physical therapist before making major training-changing decisions.
Talk soon!
— Yusra Lodhi, PT, DPT, OCS
