The Most Important Thing To Heal Chronic Injuries and Health Challenges… Not Just for Runners

In my 40 years as a physical therapist, I’ve tested, re-tested, and refined techniques on thousands of clients. I’ve seen what works—and more importantly, what doesn’t. Over and over again, I’ve found that true healing comes down to two essential keys.

Key #1: Find the True Root Cause

Healing is a lot like searching for your car keys. You can search your house all day long, but if the keys are out in the yard, you’ll never find them. It’s the same with your body. If you only look at muscles and joints, you’ll likely keep stretching, strengthening, or manipulating them without success—because the real cause might be somewhere else entirely.

I learned this the hard way. Years ago, a stubborn calf spasm sidelined me from running for eight long months. I tried everything—strength work, stretching, orthotics—but nothing helped. Finally, I discovered that the root issue wasn’t in my calf at all. It was in my ribcage—actually my heart and aorta, the main blood vessel of the body. Once I treated that root cause, the calf spasm disappeared—and just two days later I was back running pain-free.

That’s the magic of finding the true cause: your body already wants to heal. If it hasn’t, it’s usually because no one has found the real reason yet.

Key #2: Do the Right Thing Once You’ve Found It

Once we’ve uncovered the real source of the issue, the next step is clear—apply the right healing technique, exercise, or lifestyle shift that directly addresses the root cause. That’s when the body can finally do what it’s designed to do: heal and return to full strength.

Why This Matters for You

Whether you’re a runner, hiker, dancer, or simply someone who wants to walk, move, and live without pain, this approach works. If you’ve been stuck with chronic injuries, autoimmune issues, or health challenges that just won’t go away—don’t give up. It may simply mean the true root cause hasn’t been discovered yet.

To your healing and happiness,

Ralph

Comments

comments