perhaps you can give examples of best practices to look for so that people don't end up with a bad practitioner...

Many of the issues that plague endurance athletes can have multiple initiating factors. It can be poor form, gait, muscle imbalance, pelvic / SI joint issues, bad shoes, medications, etc. You could have one of these or multiple issues among others.

Find a practitioner that will look at you and be mindful of the issues inherent in triathlon and endurance sports. The old adage of "when you are a hammer everything looks like a nail" , can be true of any profession. You need someone with global look at you and your issues.

Most of the comments are from people who really have no idea of what it is Chiropractic is or does. This is as much Chiropractic's fault as any other.

I think restoring normal gait and proper joint function is paramount for anyone who is physically active, especially endurance athletes.

Absolutely. I agree completely. I've been to courses led by chiros. However, their training is in manual therapy. Manual therapy in and of itself is crap, especially for endurance athletes. We need load management and movement training, maybe with psychosocial interventions as well. A chiro can of course do this, but it's a chiro that has learned it from interest and not in school. Same goes partially for a good PT, but at least a PT school should give the base knowledge in this. Mine did. But it's a broaf profession and we learn also to treat cardiorespiratory disease, neurological conditions, orthopedic rehab etc etc.

---

Endurance coach | Physiotherapist (primary care) | Bikefitter | Swede

This x1000

---

Team Zoot
2019 Sponsors: Canyon Bikes, Garmin, Smith Optics, Gatorade, Zealios Skin Care & Sun Protection, Speedfill Products, Base Performance, Ottolock, Theragun, Boco Gear, ORR Carbon Wheel Systems, Giddy Up Multisport

I have experienced six strains in my former competitive lifting days. They were not so significant that they required surgical reattachment, but in each case and with them being a lower grade strain (could not put weight on the leg and there was severe bruising) the only thing that helped me was time. Time to let the torn tissue heal and not be tempted to stretch because you are essentially or potentially going to tear the tissue even more. I was going to a chiropractor regularly at that time that was also a competitor. He did not want to touch it and there was nothing he could do with soft tissue. He did use an ultrasound* device on the torn area a couple of times. I don't think there was anything a PT or doctor could have done. I just had to give it time to heal in each case for the lower grade strains and then start back training lightly. In my case as a lifter my first thing doing was light spinning with almost no resistance just to get and keep motion in my legs.

YMMV

* - ultrasound was used on just one of the strains. I did not notice any improvement speed over not using ultrasound and the chiropractor said he wasn't sure if it would even work. He did not charge me for using the device.

I would suggest an initial examination that evaluates bio-mechanics, muscle activation/ balance and soft tissue involvement. This will determine the source of the problem and and severity of the injury. Follow up treatment should address the function and symptomatic component (fix the problem and make you feel better). Time frame: depending on severity and your past history, there should be a significant improvement in a few sessions. Create an agreement with the doc when to review and if there's progress "we do this...", no progress "we do this...". A variety of modalities can/should be used (not just manipulation or adjustments). With improvement, begin loading slowly with a plan. No progress, the doc should have a plan or be able to refer you to another practitioner.

Great running injury book IMO for understanding physiology and self treatment: Tom Michaud, D.C. "Injury Free Running"
. also has authored a textbook used in universities "Human Locomotion". Brilliant dude.

PM me if you want further input. good luck

---

Mike

Firstly, to be helpful...

If you’ve hurt yourself then yes absolutely see someone credible. Perhaps see if your local triathlon club has an affiliated practitioner? If your injury is muscular you can probably get better by being patient and perhaps stick to pool and bike for 5 days before light running, moderate running and returning to training. Sure get a massage if you like, but rest assured your body is probably already on it.

Secondly, to chime in on the undercurrent topic, which I think is a great one and I’m glad so many have an opinion as I work within the industry in the UK.

To summarise...

1. There is no special discipline. PT, Chiro, Massage, Osteo, Acupuncture, ART... That just describes their education, not their treatment style or outcomes.
2. You will find therapists that work well for some people and poorly for others.
3. You will find some injuries that work well for some therapies and not for others.
4. Manual therapy is not special. There is no evidence to suggest skilled therapists are more successful (in results, not bank balance) than less skilled ones.
5. Diagnosis and self-management is more important than anything. The key factor in injuries is simply load management.

to the op:

as a PT myself, i'm sorry you had such a shitty experience. not all PT's are created equal, just as not all chirocs are crack addicts.

for a calf strain, find a PT that can dry needle, that's probably your quickest road to recover.

PM me for more info.

john

The quickest way to recover from a strain is to start loading it very soon in a smart way. It is not to insert sharp stuff and inflict pain. There is no credible explanation that i know of that could explain why one would like to poke a strain with sharp stuff, and frankly, the evidence says it's at best as good as placebo. We are on a slippery slope when practitioners have a "toolbox" of X amount of passive modalities, and think that their clinical reasoning is by deciding which passive modality goes into which injury. I'm not saying this is you by any stretch of imagination but nonetheless I see it's really common, just have a look at the high hamstring tendinopathy thread where there is a mayham of passive modalities being presented. "I had this done to me, did nil, then that, did even less" etc for almost 10 pages.

---

Endurance coach | Physiotherapist (primary care) | Bikefitter | Swede

Yes - I think you can get a lot of benefit from a Chiro. Think of it as another reedy in your medicine toolkit. A Chior is great for somethings, just like other professionals are good for other things. I have experienced a lot of relief for certain issues. Worth a try!
John

Watch this before you go in for adjustments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQb8FK2PM6Y