Sore Legs After Running? How PT Can Help

Running is an excellent way to stay fit, clear your mind, and challenge your limits. But if you’re frequently sidelined by sore legs, aching knees, or throbbing ankles after your runs, physical therapy can help you address your sore legs after a run.

Learn more about what causes sore legs after a run and how physical therapy can help you address and alleviate the pain so that you can continue to run to your heart’s desire.

What Causes Post-Run Leg Soreness?

Muscle soreness usually happens 24 to 72 hours after exercise and is known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. This soreness is the result of microscopic tears in the muscle fiber that occur from strenuous activity. While delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is typical as part of a normal training routine, persistent or sharp pain may indicate underlying issues that require further evaluation.

Sore Leg Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

While delayed onset muscle soreness is common and typically goes away within 24 to 72 hours after exercise, it’s important to recognize typical soreness vs a potential injury. Some important signs to look out for include:

• Sharp or Localized Pain Especially in the knees, shins, or ankles
• Instability or Weakness Sensation of “giving way” in joints
• Persistent Discomfort Pain that doesn’t improve with rest
• Pain Altering Gait Changes in walking or running patterns due to discomfort
• Swelling or Bruising May indicate possible tissue damage

Conditions like runner’s knee, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendinitis are common among runners and can be effectively managed with physical therapy.

Steps to Mitigate Sore Legs from Running

There are several steps you can take to mitigate sore legs from running. One of the most important things you can do to alleviate the potential of sore legs from running is by implementing an effective warm-up period. This helps your body ease into the workout.

The next thing that you can do is increase your activity levels to build up your tolerance. If you haven’t run in a while, you’ll likely be more sore than those who run on a regular basis. Over time, you should work to improve the distance, intensity, and duration of your runs to help your muscles build up a tolerance to the strain of running.

Your attire and running gear also play an important role in how sore you are during and after your run. Make sure you’re wearing loose fitting clothes with proper running shoes that support your natural running style.

Listen to your body! If you start to feel pain or significant levels of discomfort, dial it back or stop completely. It’s natural to feel some level of discomfort as you train because you’re trying to push your body, but if you experience significant pain or discomfort, stop and consult with a qualified healthcare professional.

Make sure you prioritize rest and recovery. As you ramp up your running sessions, you also need to make rest and recovery an important component of your training routine. If your body feels a little sore several days after your run, try incorporating different types of exercise into your routine like walking or swimming to mix it up. This way, you can still remain active but give your body the break it needs from running for a period of time.

Alleviate Sore Legs After Running with Physical Therapy

Physical therapy can help you alleviate sore legs from running as well. After a comprehensive evaluation with a licensed physical therapist at a PT location near you, you will have a personalized assessment that identifies underlying biomechanical issues, muscle imbalances, improper movement patterns, and other contributing factors to the underlying cause of your running pain.

After the cause has been identified, you will work closely with your physical therapist to implement targeted exercises and stretches along with other manual therapy techniques that are designed to strengthen key muscle groups, improve mobility, improve range of motion, alleviate pain, and increase flexibility so that you don’t have pain or discomfort during and after a run.

Treat Running Injuries and Pain with Physical Therapy

Running is a great way to get active, but don’t let sore legs hamper you. Physical therapy can be an effective treatment option to help alleviate pain and prevent future running injuries.

Find a physical therapy location near you at one of our nationwide physical therapy locations and request an appointment to alleviate running pain.