Running Without Pelvic Dysfunction

Why Pelvic Therapy is Essential for Running with Confidence: Absorb Shock, Prevent Leakage, and Avoid Pain

Running is a high-impact activity that demands a lot from your body, particularly your pelvic floor, low back, and hips. When you land with each stride, your body absorbs shock. If your body isn’t equipped to absorb that impact effectively, it can lead to issues like pelvic floor dysfunction, leakage, low back pain, and tight, stiff hips. Over time, this can become a recurring problem that affects your ability to run confidently without fear of heaviness or leakage.

The first step in pelvic therapy for returning to running is to retrain your body’s shock-absorbing system. That means working on how your foot, pelvic floor, and breathing patterns work together to absorb the forces as your foot strikes the ground. This is essential for preventing injuries and pelvic floor dysfunction like urinary leakage. Without this foundation, your body will absorb shock inefficiently, and your pelvic floor may bear the brunt of it, leading to discomfort and dysfunction.

Once your body learns to absorb shock correctly, we move to the next phase: loading and rebuilding that absorption mechanism so you can spring off the ground with strength, elasticity, and the energy needed to propel yourself forward. The goal is to make the entire gait cycle as efficient as possible—and that includes making sure the pelvic floor is engaged and on board with every step.

An important connection to understand is how the foot and pelvic floor mimic each other in function. If your foot is stiff, lacks mobility, or over-pronates in an uncontrolled way, your pelvic floor will often follow suit. This misalignment or dysfunction in the foot can translate up into the pelvic region, leading to tension, pain, and leakage. It’s crucial to address the mechanics of both the foot and pelvic floor to ensure your body can absorb shock efficiently and move with proper alignment.

Pelvic therapy for runners isn’t just about pain relief; it’s about creating a system that works harmoniously, from the ground up. By retraining your body to absorb shock properly, you can reduce pelvic floor dysfunction, avoid injury, and run with confidence, knowing your body is strong, springy, and ready for the miles ahead.