Athletic training for marathons is no easy task. However, it can be even harder if your joints aren’t working as they should. Fortunately, there’s a physical therapy team that may be able to help you with your joint issues and help get your training back on track.

At Continuum Wellness, we’re proud to offer high-quality physical therapy to the residents of Apache Junction, Arizona. One thing that we’ve learned during our time serving this community is that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t very effective. That’s why our team is dedicated to helping you with personalized therapy plans, and our plans are built using therapies that help target your specific injury or condition. Since every runner is different in so many ways, one area that our personalized therapy plans are particularly helpful with is athletic training for marathons.

Three joint issues that may hamper your athletic training for marathons

Our Continuum Wellness team is well aware that your joints are vital to your athletic training for marathons. After all, running makes use of joints in your hips, knees and feet with every step you take. However, there are three joint issues our team often sees that could derail the progress of your training.

The first joint issue we often see in runners is bursitis. This condition is the result of inflammation in the joint-cushioning sacs in your joints. Normally, these sacs allow your joints to move freely. But, they can cause joint stiffness and pain when they’re inflamed, which may make running more difficult for you.

Another joint problem our team frequently sees in patients who are runners is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a condition where bony growths form in the joints. These growths often cause damage to connective tissue in your joints during movement, which results in joint pain. The joint pain osteoarthritis causes may, in turn, make your training less productive.

The third joint issue we often see at Continuum Wellness is problems with the iliotibial (IT) band. The most common problem our team sees with the IT band is that it becomes inflamed. IT band inflammation can seriously hamper your marathon training because this structure runs between your hip and knee. Inflammation in this structure can therefore cause pain in both joints. The most common cause we’ve seen for this type of inflammation is poor posture while running.

If either of these three joint problems are affecting your marathon training, Continuum Wellness is here to help. Our team is ready to help you find the underlying cause of your joint problem. We’ll also help by building you a personalized therapy plan, which may reduce your joint pain and help treat the underlying cause of your joint issue.

Are you ready to start treating joint problems that are holding back your athletic training for marathons? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.