Mississauga and Oakville Pain Clinic offering chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy and orthotic services to residents of Churchill Meadows InMississauga
Mississauga and Oakville Pain Clinic offering chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy and orthotic services to residents of Churchill Meadows InMississauga
A few weeks ago I decided to run a 5k. To help fit it in my busy day, I decided to skip the warm up. This ended up being a bad decision.
During the run, I started to develop pain on the outside of my left leg. This pain was not something new, I usually experience some pain that lasts for a few moments. On this day however, the pain did not go away, and instead it got worse. Rather than stopping and stretching the muscle out, I decided to finish the run.
Near the end of the run, the pain disappeared. I took the opportunity to sprint the last kilometre. During my cool-down, I noticed that the pain had returned. I assumed the pain was a mild muscle strain, so I ignored it and went about my day.
The next day I tried to get out of bed, but the leg pain was more intense. It was painful to stand from a sitting position, and any side movements with the leg were also painful. Not only was there leg pain, but there was also some knee pain. The knee pain was more concerning to me over the leg pain, as it could be a sign of a more serious condition. I started to compile a list of some of the conditions that could cause the pain that I was feeling. This list included:
1. Meniscus injury – The meniscus is a disc like cartilage in the knee joint that helps cushion the knee under load. People with meniscus injuries will usually feel their knee locking when straightening their knee joint.
2. Ligament injury – Ligaments are strands of tissue that attach one bone to another. When a ligament tears it can cause a ‘pop’ sound at the time of injury. A Chiropractor or Physiotherapist can diagnose this pain by assessing the joint play of the knee.
3. Tendon injury – These structures attach the muscles to the bones, and can be injured under load-bearing exercises such as running. Specific muscle tests can help diagnose tendon injuries.
4. Muscle strain injury – These are the most common injuries we see at the clinic. Muscle strain injuries occurs when muscles are not warmed up before performing an activity. Muscle strain injuries can cause moderate to intense pain.
After assessing the knee, I came to the conclusion that I had injured my IT Band. This muscle travels from the glutes to the knee. An injury to the IT band can cause pain in the glute muscle as well as into the knee itself. IT band injuries can be painful when performing the following:
Sit to stand and stand to sit movements.
Leg squats
Lateral movements such as getting out of a car.
IT band injuries usually respond well to treatment. Some of the treatment options I used included:
1. Foam rolling the IT band and focussing on the muscle spasm.
2. Graston Therapy which involves using instruments to stretch out the muscle.
3. Stretches which can be downloaded here.
4. Heat Therapy
5. Massage Gun
6. Massage Therapy
7. Bracing
This experience was a good reminder on the importance of stretching before an activity. Warming up the muscles can help prevent injury and can also improve performance. It was also a good reminder that injuries should be treated early to help improve recovery times and to implement a plan to optimize for best results.
I hope you found this experience informative. If you or someone you know is experiencing muscle or joint pain, call our clinic today for a free consultation at 905-593-1605.
We wish you the best of health!
