Staying in shape with an injury

Last Fourth of July Kelli Mehrholz knew something wasn't quite right.

While running a local race, the Deerfield woman wondered why her tendinitis was hurting more than ever before.

Mehrholz visited her doctor and found out the real reason behind the pain: Her Achilles tendon was suffering an old tear that had not properly healed. The news crushed the avid runner, who usually clocks 25 to 30 miles per week.

"For me, not being able to run was the worst thing," said Mehrholz. "I know I'm not an Olympic athlete, but all my running is about staying healthy and it seems to be the only thing that works to maintain my weight.

"I'm always worried about avoiding injury. And I would always cringe when I heard about a runner who sustained an injury and had to stop, because I didn't want that to be me."

Once that was her, though, Mehrholz didn't sit idly on the couch. In addition to seeking physical therapy where she rebuilt her range of motion, flexibility and stability, she talked with her doctor and her therapist about cardio workouts that would keep her weight in check.

Whether you've got runner's knee, you've strained your back or hip, or even injured a rotator cuff, there are lots of options for modifying and maintaining your workout regimen. Of course consulting your doctor is the first order of business, since all injuries are treated differently. But physical therapists say you should still keep moving - just a bit differently than before.

Rick Hartmann, a physical therapist and certified athletic trainer, said he's now seeing several runners who are training for the Chicago Marathon coming to his door with aches, pains or worse.

"In addition to the work my clients do with me, they can make modifications to supplement running with other exercises that are still aerobic but not running-specific, like biking or water aerobics," said Hartmann, who owns Synergy Physical Therapy in Libertyville. "We are trying to define what their problems are that they need to treat, then giving them a clear-cut home program they can follow that relates to their training program."

Part of Mehrholz's rehab, which she is still completing with Hartmann, includes cycling, swimming and even using the rowing machine on off days.

And while healing and staying in shape are key if you're injured, there's another goal you can't ignore: figuring out if you're doing something wrong. Often times, injuries can be prevented entirely by tweaking your form while working out.

Hartmann says he analyzes his patients to identify glitches in their movement, such as an error in their running gait or overextension in step exercises.

"If a basketball player is landing from a jump with his knees falling toward each other, that can increase his risk of tearing his ACL, and that's a problem we need to correct," he said.

After about four months of care from her doctor and Hartmann, Kelli Mehrholz got back on her feet. And right now, she's also training for the Chicago Marathon.

So instead of limping in pain again this July, she says she'll be back in the race again during the Deerfield Rotary Club's 10K.