If you’re running through pain, changing how you move, or your performance is dipping, it might be time to book in with a running physio.
Quick Takeaways
That Little Niggle Might Be a Big Deal
Every runner has that one ache they ignore. Maybe it’s your ankle whispering after a run, your knee grumbling halfway up the stairs, or your calf quietly stiffening in the morning. You stretch it out, tell yourself it’ll pass, and lace up again. But what if that whisper turns into a scream?
Many runners in Panania and Rozelle come to us only when the pain becomes impossible to ignore. The goal of this blog is to help you catch those early warning signs, and understand why a running physio can make all the difference long before things get serious.
What’s a Running Physio, Anyway?
A running physio isn’t just a regular physio with sneakers. We’re trained to understand the biomechanics of running;how muscles, joints, and technique all interact under repetitive load. At our clinics, we don’t just look at the sore spot. We look at how your entire body is moving and loading, from your hips and core to your toes and training volume. We treat the cause, not just the symptoms.
We use tools like:
This lets us go far beyond “rest and ice” advice. Instead, we create detailed, data-informed plans that get you back running with confidence.
7 Signs You Should See a Running Physio
You don’t need to be limping into the clinic to justify a visit. These signs are your body’s way of waving a little flag that says, “Hey, can we look at this before it gets worse?”
1. Pain That Sticks Around
A common rule of thumb: if pain has been showing up during or after your runs for more than 3 sessions in a row, it’s time to investigate. Running pain isn’t always severe. Sometimes it’s a dull ache, a tightness, or a pulling sensation. But even small discomforts can turn into larger problems if they’re ignored for weeks or months.
2. Morning Stiffness or Limping
If you’re hobbling out of bed the next morning after a run, chances are your body’s not recovering well. Conditions like Achilles tendinopathy or plantar fasciitis often present this way. Early intervention with specific strength work and load management can dramatically shorten recovery. We’re talking the difference between just managing your load for a few weeks versus potentially needing to take some time off running.
3. A Dip in Performance
Have you noticed your usual pace feels harder? That your legs feel heavy earlier in your runs? Reduced performance isn’t always due to fitness. It can be your body protecting an irritated joint, tendon, or bone without you even realising it. If things aren’t adding up as to why you’re in a bit of a performance slump, it’s best to get a set of professional eyes on the situation.
4. You’re Changing How You Run
Are you favouring one side? Landing more on your toes or your heels? Or adjusting your stride to avoid a sore spot? This is your body compensating. While clever in the short term, it can lead to more load on areas that aren’t designed to take it, leading to more sore spots and a higher risk of other injuries.
5. Recurring Injuries
If the same niggle keeps coming back (e.g., every time your training ramps up) you don’t need another rest. You need to find the reason. We often see runners with patterns of injury that trace back to one or two missing pieces that have been compounding over time: poor glute strength, limited ankle mobility, or unbalanced strength.
6. Pain That Moves Around
Today it’s the outside of your knee, next week it’s your hip. This is often due to an underlying movement inefficiency. A proper running assessment can help figure out the root cause and stop the domino effect before it starts.
7. You’re Training for a Big Event
Don’t wait until the taper. Book a pre-race running assessment to check your form, strength, recovery strategies, and technique. A single session can pick up subtle imbalances that might otherwise cause issues halfway through your 12-week program.
What Happens in a Running Assessment?
Unlike a quick in-and-out appointment, a running assessment is comprehensive.
We’ll watch how you move through walking, squats, hops, and yes, running! We record high-speed video of your running gait and break it down frame by frame. Are your hips dropping? Are your knees crossing midline? Is your cadence too low? There is no “perfect” running technique because everyone’s anatomy is different, but there may be components of your technique which explain your symptoms – these are the areas we focus on. We’re not here to judge your running technique apart just for the sake of it, we only dig into the parts that will help you move better, feel stronger, and run pain-free.
We’ll also use force plates to assess how evenly you’re loading across your feet and limbs, and dynamometry to test strength in your glutes, calves, hamstrings, and quads.
From there, we create a plan that targets the real cause, not just the pain.
Common Injuries We Catch Early
Many running injuries start small — and runners tend to delay help. Here are the big five we treat regularly (link to “Top 5 Running Injuries” page), especially in the early stages:
- Achilles tendinopathy, often presenting as morning stiffness or tightness during tempo runs.
- Patellofemoral pain, that sharp ache at the front of the knee with stairs or hills.
- ITB syndrome, which causes pain on the outside of the knee, especially on longer runs.
- Shin splints, which can develop into tibial stress fractures if not managed early.
- Bone stress injuries, subtle but serious, often only picked up by persistent pain with load.
The earlier we intervene, the less time you’ll spend off the track.
But I’m Not Injured… Should I Still Book In?
Absolutely. The best time to see a running physio is BEFORE something goes wrong.
A proactive assessment can:
If you’re a new runner or recently increased your volume, changed shoes, or started speed work, you’re more likely to overload tissues that aren’t ready. Prevention is far easier (and cheaper) than rehab.
What the Research Says
You don’t need to take our word for it — the evidence supports early, targeted care:
- A 2021 paper by Barton et al. showed that early, load-based intervention in patellofemoral pain significantly improves recovery time and reduces recurrence.
- Rathleff et al. (2015) demonstrated that runners with knee pain responded well to targeted strength and education interventions — particularly when delivered early.
- A 2016 review by Van der Worp et al. highlighted poor load management and lack of strength training as key contributors to tendon injuries in runners.
Physio isn’t just massage and tape. It’s science-backed care that helps runners heal faster — and smarter.
We Don’t Just Fix Injuries – We Build Better Runners
Whether you’re new to running, training for a marathon, or chasing a parkrun PB, physio can help.
We help runners:
It’s about more than just getting back to where you were, it’s about getting better than you were before.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Wait to Get Stuck
Your body gives you early warning signs. Don’t wait until you’re limping, sore for days, or missing sessions. If something feels off, even a little, that’s your chance to fix it before it sidelines your season.
Quick Recap
Ready to Run Stronger?
Book a running assessment with us in Rozelle or Panania. Whether you’re feeling pain, prepping for an event, or just want to move better, we’re here to help.
Let’s get you back to pain-free running and beyond!
