Marathon Aftercare Recommendations February 15, 2008

Seton Rehabilitation Services will be on hand during the AT&T Austin Marathon Sunday, Feb. 17 as the official medical sponsor for the race. Should any of the estimated 15,000 runners need assistance, physical therapists, as well as doctors, OTs, nurses and medical support staff will be on hand to render aid. Seton physical therapists provided some tips once you finish and leave downtown and are recovering at home or in a hotel.

Seton Rehabilitation Services

Soreness versus Injury

Sometimes its difficult to distinguish post exercise soreness from an injury caused by overuse. This may be especially true if you are running at your best pace during the AT&T Austin Marathon. Listed below are some guidelines on how to treat post exercise soreness and how to determine whether you may have an injury that requires professional medical care.

Treating Soreness

Dont let soreness keep you in one position for a long period of time. Light exercise and frequent movement keeps blood circulating and assists in eliminating waste products created by exercise.
Elevate legs above your heart for 10 to 30 minutes at a time.
Stretch overly tight muscles and/or get a sports massage.
A cold bath can prove soothing to micro trauma from running long distances. This works well after long runs and soon after a race.

IS IT AN INURY?

All long-distance runners endure discomfort, however, if you experience pain that is localized and increases during running, you likely have an overuse injury. Examples of localized pain are anterior knee (patellar tendon or runners knee), lateral knee (iliotibial band friction syndrome), hamstring, low back and foot (plantar fasciitis) pain.
Flexibility should be relatively easy to regain following challenging runs. If you are unable to regain flexibility, you may have a biomechanical imbalance that could lead to an overuse injury.
Unusual wear patterns on your shoes may also indicate a biomechanical imbalance that needs to be investigated.
If you notice declining performance without an obvious reason, such as the flu or time spent on family or work commitments, you may need a sports rehabilitation evaluation.

If you have one or more injury symptoms, you may benefit from a sports medicine consult. Ask you physician about a referral for a thorough individual assessment at one of our convenient sports medicine sites. Should you need treatment, we can provide a wide variety of therapies tailored to your needs.

CENTRAL:
Brackenridge Hospital
(512) 324-7600

Seton Medical Center
Outpatient Rehabilitation
(512) 324-1875

NORTH:
Seton Northwest
Sports Medicine & Hand Therapy
(512) 324-6070

Seton Cedar Park
(512) 324-5320

Seton Pflugerville
(512) 324-5352

SOUTH:
Seton Southwest
(512) 324-9070

SURROUNDING AREAS:
Seton Highland Lakes
(512) 715-3055

Seton Highland Lakes at Marble Falls
(512) 715-3055

The Oroweat Health & Fitness Expo

Seton Rehabilitation Services will contribute to a panel discussion, Using Biomechanical Gait Analysis to Study and Improve Running Form at the expo. While you're there, stop by the Seton Rehabilitation Services booth and receive a free gait analysis.

Admission:
Free

Hours:
Friday, February 15th from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Location:
Palmer Events Center
900 Barton Springs Rd.
Austin, TX. 78704

1:00 p.m. 1:45 p.m. Using Biomechanical Gait Analysis to Study and Improve Running Form

Charlotte H. Smith M.D. (Medical Director, Rehabilitation, SETON Family of Hospitals)
Drew Summers P.T (SETON Family of Hospitals)
Bob Kunkel P.T. (SETON Family of Hospitals)
Gladys Cruz Nichols P.T. (SETON Family of Hospitals)

2:00 p.m. 2:45 p.m. Knee Pain in the Endurance Athlete, Scott Welsh, MD

...