Keeping your body properly tuned is a key to maximizing athletic performance and avoiding injury. Professional athletes, for instance, routinely incorporate chiropractic care into their routine. If you are a runner, here’s how chiropractic can help ward off the common problem of runner’s knee.

Any athletic pursuit puts stress on the body, but running is an especially repetitive activity that produces higher stress than many other sports, particularly on the knees. Cartilage in the knees—known as the medial menisci—bears most of a runner’s weight for prolonged periods. Running requires knees and legs, muscles and ligaments, to withstand a force equal to seven to ten times greater than what’s involved while walking.

Long-term wear, overuse, or a sudden injury, like twisting the knee, can strain muscles and tendons and cause joints to misalign. The chiropractor is trained to restore the health of the spine and joints. Regular chiropractic adjustments will help keep your lower joints, including the knees, in proper alignment. If you are experiencing pain as a result of your running routine, visit a chiropractor for an adjustment. These adjustments can help increase range of motion, reduce pain and lessen knee stiffness. Talk with your chiropractor about other ways to keep your body in tune.