Osteopathy for Runners: Preventing Shin Splints, ITB and Knee Pain

Running is one of the most accessible and effective forms of exercise—but it’s also one of the most injury-prone. Whether you're training for a marathon or enjoy weekend jogs around your local park, recurring pain in your shins, knees, or outer thighs can quickly derail your goals.

That’s where osteopathy comes in. At Rejuvenate Osteopathy, we regularly work with runners to relieve pain, correct imbalances, and help prevent common overuse injuries like shin splints, ITB syndrome, and runner’s knee.

Why Runners Get Injured

Running involves repetitive movement and high impact. Small biomechanical imbalances—whether from poor posture, previous injuries, or muscle weaknesses—can be magnified with each stride. Over time, this can lead to common complaints like:

• Shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome)
  

• ITB (iliotibial band) syndrome
  

• Patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee)
  

• Achilles tendonitis
  

• Plantar fasciitis
  

Many runners push through pain or rely solely on stretching or foam rolling. While these can help, seeing an osteopath for runners can provide a deeper understanding of what’s driving the discomfort—and how to stop it coming back.

Osteopathy and Running Injuries: What We Do

As osteopaths, we take a whole-body view of your movement, alignment, and muscular function. We don’t just treat where it hurts—we assess how your body is working as a system and identify any weak links contributing to your running pain.

When you visit a shin splints osteopath or come in with knee or ITB pain, your session may include:

• Postural and gait assessment
  We analyse your stance, walking and running patterns, looking for imbalances or asymmetries.
  

• Hands-on treatment
  Gentle manual techniques help release tight muscles, mobilise restricted joints, and reduce inflammation.
  

• Targeted strengthening and mobility work
  We give you tailored advice on exercises to improve core stability, hip control, ankle mobility and more—depending on your body’s needs.
  

• Footwear and training advice
  We’ll talk about your training volume, surfaces, recovery habits and shoes to make sure nothing is contributing unnecessarily to your pain.
  

Common Conditions We Help With

Shin Splints
Often caused by overtraining or poor biomechanics, shin splints result in inflammation of the tissues around the shin bone. Osteopathic treatment focuses on releasing tension in the calves and improving foot and leg mechanics.

ITB Syndrome
Pain on the outside of the knee? That’s often due to tension in the iliotibial band. We work on hip and glute strength, pelvic alignment, and fascial tension.

Runner’s Knee
Pain around or behind the kneecap is commonly due to poor tracking caused by muscular imbalances. Osteopathy can help guide the patella back into a better pattern through strengthening and manual therapy.

Why Choose Rejuvenate Osteopathy?

We don’t just treat injuries—we help you understand why they’re happening and how to prevent them. Whether you’re chasing a new PB or just want to enjoy running without pain, our team can tailor a plan to your goals, experience level, and lifestyle.

Run Better, Hurt Less

If you're a runner dealing with shin splints, knee pain, or ITB tightness—or want to prevent them—book an appointment with Rejuvenate Osteopathy today. Let’s keep you moving, injury-free.