Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Yes, I train like an Olympian.

Of course I train just like the Olympians do, don't you?  Well, maybe I log in less miles, eat a worse diet, and have a few extra minutes on my miles, but our healthcare is similar.  I get regular Chiropractic care (which I'm sure I'll need to write an entire blog entry about) AND I use kinesio tape.
 
A couple months ago I decided to start running again after taking a 6 month break.  I found that my knee was killing me after even a mile or 2.  I happen to have the cutest, smartest, most gentle Chiropractor in the world :) and he suggested I try taping it.  He started taping it before my runs.  It took 3 or 4 runs for me to really start feeling the difference, but since the kinesio tape has been amazing. No more knee pain!  Today I did a 5 mile jog with no tape & no pain.  The tape helped my knee learn to stay in the right position. I'm going to start weaning myself off the tape, but not ready to quit cold turkey! I love it! 
 
My stride was pronated (see the picture on the left).  It's amazing how something happening down towards your feet can effect different parts of your body--in my case, my knees.  I have shoes from Brooks designed to help with pronation, but it just wasn't enough.  Nothing has worked like the kinesio tape.
Sometimes my tape will only stay on for one run, sometimes 3 or 4 runs.  I'm not sure why it lasts longer some times versus other times.  I've been trying to wear shorts to show off my tape :) and when I'm asked about it, I always say, "I'm training like an Olympian." We all deserve the best treatment to make our runs safe & healthy. 

4 comments:

Angela O said...

Awesome! Thanks for the info on pronation, too. You're so lucky to have a Chiro in the house :)

Megan said...

Was your IT band hurting? My over-pronation causes my IT to flare up, and I used K tape, too! Love it!

Randi S said...

I'm reading the book Born to Run. In there, it says that shoes that are supposed to help with pronation problems actually can cause them to be worse. Not sure how true or false that is but it's something to think about. Do you think before you had shoes with this correcting it was worse or better or the same? Even if it's the same, is it worth the money? It's so hard to find the right shoe (or to think about barefoot running even) because there is so much controversy.
I'd like to try the K-tape - do you find it expensive?

EricAndErica said...

Megan--I'm not sure what was hurting--it just hurt! I was the most uncomfortable going up & down stairs and squatting to change diapers :)

Randi--I didn't notice any correlation between my shoes and it getting worse or better. That's interesting what you've heard about the shoes! I definitely believe a good pair of running shoes is worth every penny. In the past I've always had Asics and loved them. That being said, I'm also in love with my new Brooks (& they're purple :)).

I think you can get the K-tape on Amazon. My husband is a Chiropractor so he gets it for his office. I'm sure you could try and do it yourself though! A knowledge of anatomy would help out though so you know you are taping the right area. There are lots of little muscles and ligaments in the legs!