Running, the Cybi Stryders and some Common Injuries

Being a keen, (though somewhat weather dependent!) runner, I was grateful  of the opportunity to spend a few minutes chatting with the members of Cybi Stryders yesterday evening.

The Cybi Stryders are a friendly, Anglesey running club. Based in Holyhead, they meet twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays. The mid-week meet is for a short 5-6 mile run, usually in Menai Bridge, Holyhead, Bodedern or Llangefni and they go for a longer run on Sunday mornings - Newborough Forest, The Stacks, Rhoscolyn and sometimes even Snowdonia. The club is made up of a friendly bunch of people with mixed ability - slow plodders to faster, more elite competitive runners. Some go along just for the opportunity to go running with a few, like-minded people, whereas others use the club in order to help them train for specific events (some of them are running the Anglesey Half Marathon next weekend).

I went along just to say hello, and also to do a bit of promotion work for the Llangefni Chiropractic Clinic. Most people are well aware that chiropractors treat backs and necks, but there seems to be less understanding that most of us treat all sorts of problems with the other joints around the body. This includes common 'running' problems like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, 'runner's knee' and problems with the iliotibial band. Often these specific ailments are related to 'biomechanical' issues elsewhere in the body - problems with the mechanics and movement of the pelvis or low back can upset the way that the hips, knees, ankles and foot function (remember the song 'the knee bone's connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone's connected to the hip bone...'!?). We chiropractors are trained to treat the whole 'chain' of events in addition to the specific, localised problem and are also able to give the essential rehabilitative advice that will help to speed recovery and prevent future injury.

I enjoyed meeting the club members, and feel motivated to perhaps go along and join in with some of the runs. I'm always grateful of the opportunity to 'spread the word' about chiropractic, although as one of the members quite rightly pointed out, hopefully none of them will be needing to come along and see me in the clinic!

---