Running shouldn’t hurt. Yet so many runners deal with nagging knee pain, shin splints, arch soreness, or tight hips that make every mile feel harder than it should.
Most runners assume the problem is their running form and that they need to change their stride, cadence, or foot strike. But the truth is, form usually isn’t the issue. The real problem is often a lack of strength and stability in the hips, knees, and feet.
At Bax Performance and Rehab, we help runners across Pleasanton and Livermore rebuild their foundations so they can move better, train harder, and stay pain-free. Here’s how to fix pain when running and why it starts long before you lace up your shoes.
When runners start to feel pain, the first instinct is to analyze gait videos, tweak foot placement, or buy new shoes. While mechanics play a role, they’re rarely the main driver of pain.
Most running pain stems from one of two things:
Instability through the hip, knee, and ankle chain.
Poor foot coordination and control.
If you can’t stabilize your joints under load, you’ll compensate - often by collapsing inward at the knee, overstriding, or landing with poor shock absorption. Over time, those patterns create irritation in tissues that were never meant to handle that stress alone.
A strong, stable stride starts long before your foot hits the ground. The first exercise we use at BPR to identify and fix weak links is the hydrant hold against the wall.
You’ll place a band just above your knees and stand in a split-squat stance with your back toes against the wall. Drive your front knee slightly forward and push your back knee out against the band.
Now hold.
This simple position tests — and trains — your ability to stabilize the entire kinetic chain: ankle → knee → hip → trunk.
Feel your glutes working to keep the knee from collapsing.
Feel your foot gripping the ground for balance.
Keep your trunk stacked and still.
We usually start by holding this for 45–60 seconds per side. Once that becomes easy, we’ll layer in movement patterns that mimic running mechanics.
If your foot isn’t stable, your entire stride becomes inefficient. Foot pain, shin splints, and even knee pain often start with poor control at the ground level.
To build a stronger, smarter foot, we use a banded coordination drill.
Anchor a small resistance band around a solid object.
Loop it around your midfoot, both top and bottom.
Let the band pull your foot into a flat or pronated position.
Actively resist it by pulling your arch up and out, keeping your big toe pressed down.
This trains your intrinsic foot muscles to stabilize through all three contact points — heel, outside edge, and ball of the big toe — what we call the tripod position.
As you progress, add a second smaller band under the big toe to build more coordination and endurance in those stabilizers.
Dr. Rob recommends doing this drill twice a day, 30 reps per set. Within two weeks, most runners notice less arch pain, fewer shin splints, and improved push-off power.
Once your stability and foot control are solid, we build power and endurance into those new movement patterns.
That means progressing to more dynamic work:
Step-ups and step-downs mimicking your running angles.
Single-leg hops for reactive stability.
Bounding drills to connect strength with rhythm and timing.
But we don’t skip steps. The difference between running pain-free and running through pain is earning your load: mastering control before adding speed or intensity.
Even the strongest runners can overdo it. Rapid mileage increases, poor sleep, or ignoring rest days can overload tissues faster than they can adapt.
If pain lingers or worsens despite proper training, it’s a signal that your recovery system — not your mechanics — needs attention.
We encourage runners to monitor these three pillars:
Sleep: 7–9 hours for tissue recovery.
Nutrition: Enough calories and protein to rebuild tissue.
Load management: Follow the 10% rule — don’t increase weekly mileage more than 10%.
Pain often fades naturally when the body has time and resources to recover.
Running pain isn’t about “perfect form.” It’s about movement capacity. When your hips, knees, and feet are strong, your body automatically self-organizes into efficient patterns.
At BPR, we help Pleasanton and Livermore runners build those foundations through:
One-on-one strength-based rehab.
Gait analysis and movement screens.
Progressions that blend rehab and performance training.
The result? You don’t just stop hurting. You start running stronger and more confidently than before.
These clips show how we assess, train, and progress runners dealing with pain from poor stability or coordination.
You don’t need to stop running. You just need a smarter plan.
We’ll help you find the real cause of your pain, rebuild stability, and return to running with confidence.
📞 Call/Text: (925) 397-0399
📧 Email: Abigail@BaxPerformanceRehab.com
Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy – Hip Strength and Running-Related Injury Prevention
British Journal of Sports Medicine – Foot Core Strength Training for Injury Prevention
Harvard Health – How to Prevent and Treat Running Injuries