Runners and Hikers: Sports Acupuncture for Endurance Athletes
Running and hiking are incredibly rewarding activities, but they also put repetitive stress on your joints, muscles, and connective tissues. Over time, this can lead to overuse injuries that sideline you from the trails and roads you love. Acupuncture offers runners and hikers in Coquitlam and Vancouver a way to recover faster, reduce injury risk, and keep doing what they love.
Common running and hiking injuries
Runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain): Dull, aching pain around or behind the kneecap, often worse when running downhill, climbing stairs, or sitting for long periods.
IT band syndrome: Sharp or burning pain on the outside of the knee, typically appearing a few kilometers into a run and worsening with continued activity.
Achilles tendinitis: Pain and stiffness in the Achilles tendon, especially in the morning or at the start of a run. Can progress to chronic tendinopathy if not addressed.
Plantar fasciitis: Sharp pain in the heel or arch of the foot, worst with the first steps in the morning or after sitting.
Shin splints: Pain along the inner edge of the shinbone, common in runners who increase mileage too quickly or run on hard surfaces.
Hip and glute pain: Weakness or tightness in the hips and glutes can lead to pain that affects running mechanics and contributes to other injuries.
How acupuncture helps runners and hikers
Faster recovery: Acupuncture reduces inflammation and improves circulation, helping injured tissues heal more quickly.
Pain management: Reduces pain without relying on NSAIDs or other medications that can have side effects with long-term use.
Muscle tension release: Releases tight muscles (calves, quads, IT band, hip flexors) that contribute to poor mechanics and injury.
Improved range of motion: Helps restore normal movement patterns and joint mobility.
Nervous system support: Calms an overactive stress response, which can improve recovery and reduce injury risk.
Performance support: Many runners use acupuncture during heavy training blocks to support recovery between hard efforts.
At Ryu Clinic in Coquitlam and Vancouver, treatment for runners and hikers is designed around your training schedule. If you have a race coming up, the focus is on getting you to the start line healthy. If you’re in the off-season, treatment addresses underlying imbalances to prepare you for the next training cycle.
Training modifications during treatment
Active rest: Reduce mileage and intensity while maintaining some running to preserve fitness. Cross-train with swimming, cycling, or elliptical.
Gradual return: Once pain improves, slowly increase mileage by no more than 10% per week.
Address root causes: Work on strength (especially glutes and hips), flexibility, and running form to prevent recurrence.
Listen to your body: If pain returns during a run, stop. Pushing through often makes things worse.
Recovery timeline
Most overuse injuries improve within 4-8 weeks with consistent treatment and appropriate training modifications. Acupuncture 1-2x per week in the acute phase, then spacing out as symptoms improve.
You can book online through JaneApp or call Ryu Clinic to create a treatment plan that gets you back on the trails and roads safely.
🇰🇷 Korean Summary / 한국어 요약
러너와 하이커를 위한 스포츠 침 치료 가이드입니다.
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Ready to Start Your Journey?
Book an appointment at Coquitlam Momentum or Vancouver Regen Recovery
📞 Phone: Coquitlam 604-475-5328 | Vancouver 604-336-8141
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