Ronald Lavine, DC offers specialized evaluation and treatment to help runners improve their form and efficiency, avoid overuse injuries of the leg, knee, foot, and spine, and to recover quickly when problems strike.

Dr. Lavine has more than 40 years expertise helping the serious endurance athlete achieve ambitious goals. Since turning 65, he’s redoubled his own commitment to running as part of his fitness program, and has successfully completed the Princeton Half-Marathon three yers in a row, shaving more than 25 minutes from his finishing time.

His focus is on improving body awareness, alignment, and movement control, releasing tight connective tissues, and restoring normal joint play – all with the goal of developing an efficient and stress-free running style.

• Begin with a thorough evaluation of your running alignment, spine posture, and freedom of joint play.
• Learn specific therapeutic exercises relevant to your situation.
• Introduce your body to improved posture and running mechanics.
• Continue with an ongoing treatment plan – a potent combination of corrective exercises, release of connective tissue restrictions, and, as needed, mobilization of the joints.
• Custom foot orthotics are also provided in select situations.

As a long distance runner, I’ve had bad IT Band issues over the past several years and Ron has helped me work through and past that injury. I’m back to my normal training routine and see Ron monthly to help with alignment. He also provides great exercises for me to do on my own that focus on strength and stretching.”       Allison P.

Each year 20-30% of entrants to the NYC Marathon don’t even show up at the start because of injury.”

Here are some of the common problem areas for runners that Dr. Lavine can help you with:

Iliotibial band friction syndrome

His research into problems of the IT band led to the Dec. 2010 publication of Dr. Lavine’s article “Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome” in Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine. The article covered the differing views of this common overuse injury of runners and in particular debunked the overly simplified notion that a tight IT band was a major cause.

In fact, common IT band stretches are only marginally effective at targeting the band in the first place. Moreover, a taut iliotibial band is actually a good thing — it’s needed to support proper alignment of the torso as the body shifts weight side to side during running.

Instead, a comprehensive approach to treatment of IT band friction syndrome requires the practice of complex patterns of lateral weight shift, maintaining freedom of motion of the hip joints while activating the hip joint rotators. Dr. Lavine will show you how.

Patellofemoral syndrome

This common cause of knee pain is often attributed to tight quads or an imbalance of the inner versus outer quads, leading to poor patellar tracking.

“I used to test patients by palpating for imbalanced motion of the kneecap as a patient straightened the knee,” says Dr. Lavine.  “Then I’d prescribe specific stretches to fix the imbalance. I got some positive results, but the benefits were inconsistent.”

“One day during my gym workout I watched myself in the mirror as I did box jumps. My right knee bowed in madly when I landed. Talk about poor patellar tracking! 

“The way the knee works when it is bearing a load in running is far, far more significant than the miniscule imbalances I had been detecting in the seated position. I totally changed the way I treat patellar problems in runners.”

Dr. Lavine helps you strengthen the body’s movement control systems to organize the alignment of the knee and pelvis over the foot with each gait cycle. You build awareness of this fundamental building block of running alignment by starting with simple knee-bending exercises, progressing to more complex patterns, and integrating proper motion control into your running gait.

Plantar fasciitis

Painful tightness of the sole of the foot is another problem common in runners. It can be frustratingly persistent. Deep friction massage of the plantar fascia, stretching of the Achilles tendon, and custom foot orthotics can all work to interrupt the pain cycle.

However, an overlooked factor in plantar fasciitis is restricted joint play of the joint above the heel bone, between the calcaneus and talus. It’s called the subtalar joint.  “In addition to adjusting the subtalar joint when needed,” explains Dr. Lavine, “I also palpate the fascia in the region just below the inner ankle bone.  If it’s tight, it can impinge on nerves that feed the sole of the foot.”

Other problems of the legs and spine

Dr. Lavine’s methods are also effective for:

• Meniscus tears
• Achilles tendonitis
• Recurring ankle sprain
• Hamstring strain, hamstring tightness
• Shin splints
• Low back pain and sciatica
• Sacroiliac, piriformis, buttock pain

Book your appointment now

Need more information or ready to book an appointment? Click here. Or call Dr. Lavine at 212-400-9663.

Dr. Lavine has been an innovator in the use of movement and touch to promote health since 1981. He practices in New York City and Princeton, NJ.