At Riverstone Chiropractic in Oakland, we work with runners every week who have done everything right: they rested, they went to physical therapy, they stayed consistent with their exercises — and yet their pain keeps coming back. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone, and you’re not doing anything wrong.
One of the most common misconceptions about running injuries is that they are simply a strength problem. While strength is important, strengthening alone often isn’t enough to create lasting change for runners.
Why Strengthening Helps — But Has Limits
Strengthening exercises can be incredibly helpful. They can:
- reduce pain
- improve tissue tolerance
- restore confidence in movement
For many runners, this leads to short-term improvement. Pain decreases, running feels better, and training resumes.
But then mileage increases… speed work returns… or a race approaches — and the pain is suddenly back.
That’s because running isn’t just about how strong a muscle is. It’s about how your entire body absorbs and distributes load thousands of times per run.
Running Injuries Are Load Problems, Not Just Weakness Problems
Running places repetitive, high-impact forces through the body. Each step requires coordination between:
- the foot and ankle
- the knee
- the hip
- the pelvis and trunk
If one area isn’t contributing well, another area often takes on more stress. Over time, that stress shows up as knee pain, hip pain, shin splints, or recurring injuries.
You can strengthen a muscle in isolation — but if that strength doesn’t transfer into your running mechanics, the injury pattern stays the same.
Why Pain Comes Back When Runners Increase Mileage
This is one of the most frustrating experiences runners face.
Exercises feel helpful at first, but once training volume increases, symptoms return. This usually happens because:
- strength gains weren’t integrated into running movement
- joint motion wasn’t addressed
- the body never learned a new way to handle impact
Running-specific load exposure matters. Without it, the body defaults back to old strategies under stress.
What Runners Actually Need for Lasting Relief
Lasting improvement for running injuries usually requires a broader approach that includes:
- addressing joint motion and movement coordination
- improving how force travels through the body
- progressive exposure to running-specific loads
- strength that shows up while running, not just during exercises
This doesn’t replace strengthening — it builds on it.
Do Runners Need Physical Therapy or Chiropractic Care?
This is a common question.
Many runners benefit from physical therapy, chiropractic care, or a combination of both — as long as the care is specific to running. What matters most is working with a provider who:
- understands running mechanics
- looks beyond isolated muscles
- addresses why the injury developed in the first place
At Riverstone Chiropractic, our focus is on helping runners understand why their pain keeps returning and what needs to change to support long-term injury resolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my running injury keep coming back?
Recurring running injuries are often related to how your body handles load, not just weakness. Without changing movement strategies, symptoms can return even with consistent exercise.
Is rest enough to fix a running injury?
Rest can reduce pain temporarily, but it doesn’t retrain movement or load tolerance. Many runners need a more active approach to prevent recurrence.
How do I know if my injury is movement-related?
If pain improves with rest or exercises but returns when you run more, movement and load management are often contributing factors.
For Runners in Oakland Dealing With Recurring Injuries
If you’re a runner in Oakland struggling with knee pain, hip pain, shin splints, or an injury that keeps coming back despite strengthening, you’re not alone — and you’re not broken.
Understanding the why behind your injury is the first step toward lasting relief.
Riverstone Chiropractic works with runners to address the bigger picture behind running injuries so progress actually sticks.
➡️ Book your initial visit now to get started with treatment of your running injury.
