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As runners, we will do just about anything to keep ourselves injury-free so we don’t have to miss even a single day of training. For that reason, we’re constantly on the lookout for the latest gadget or trend in therapy that promises to vanquish all of our aches and pains for good. Over the years, many alternative therapies have become popular, and some of them more effective than others. We spoke with Blaise Dubois, sports physiotherapist and former consultant with the Canadian national track and field team, who explained which therapies work, and which ones may not be worth your money or time.

First, Dubois explains that there is a difference between what is working for prevention, and what is working for treatment, as well as what is science-based and what is working in the clinical setting. For many of the therapies we will be discussing, there appears to be more clinical evidence that they work (i.e., runners are using them and feeling some amount of relief) than actual scientific proof that they are effective. He notes that even without robust scientific evidence, if something feels as though it is working for you, there may be at least some therapeutic value in it.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been popular for many years, as both a preventative therapy and as a treatment for injury. Despite its popularity, the scientific evidence that it actually works is less than convincing.

“There is absolutely no evidence that acupuncture works in prevention,” says DuBois, “but there is some evidence of it working for the treatment of some conditions.”

Interestingly enough, he says studies have shown that ‘placebo acupuncture’ typically works just as well as the real deal. Why? Because if the person believes that the treatment is working, it will. In the same way, real acupuncture doesn’t work if the person doesn’t believe that it will. This doesn’t mean that acupuncture has zero value as a treatment, but in most cases it will only work if you believe it will.

Dry needling

Dry needling is similar to acupuncture, but it goes deeper into the muscle. The goal of the procedure is to treat underlying trigger points (tight bands in a muscle fibre) that can disrupt function, restrict range of motion or cause pain and tenderness. Research has indicated that it is a safe and effective approach to managing pain, but it is rarely used as a standalone procedure, and is typically part of a larger physiotherapy treatment plan.

Epsom salts bath

Epsom salts break down into magnesium and sulfate in water, and the theory is that when you soak in an Epsom salt bath, these get into your body through your skin. There is no scientific evidence to prove that this works, but simply soaking in warm water can help relax sore and tired muscles. Dubois says that in his opinion, an Epsom salts bath is no better than a regular bath.

Ice bath

Dubois says that there are a few systematic reviews on ice baths showing that their subjective effect is greater than the objective effect. In other words, there is less scientific evidence to prove that ice baths work, but athletes tend to report that they help reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Dubois says ice baths are not a good option for injury prevention because DOMS is a natural part of the process for muscle adaptation from training, and reducing it too much can actually slow down your progress. For this reason, he recommends that athletes who want to use ice baths only use them near the end of the season when they want to recover faster because they have many competitions in succession. He suggests using ice baths sometimes during the season as a test to see how your body reacts, but to only do so when it’s really necessary.

“When you have a big competition, don’t use a method that you’ve never used before, because you don’t know how your body will adapt,” he says.

Compression socks

“Compression socks are exactly the same thing as ice baths,” says Dubois. “Subjective results are greater than objective results.”

He says that if you think you’re getting some benefit from them, you should use them at the appropriate time in your training so as not to impede muscle adaptation. Additionally, if you use compression socks every day and you feel they allow you to train more, Dubois says that this could be dangerous because you could become dependent on them, and if you forget them one day, your workout or your race will be ruined.

Foam rolling, massage, and massage guns

All of these types of therapies provide a neurophysiological effect, and while Dubois says that he loves getting massaged himself, he admits that there are many myths surrounding how or why it might be effective.

“They don’t decrease lactic acid, they don’t increase vascularization of the tissue,” he says.

There are neurophysiological benefits to massage, but there is no specific science showing that you will recover faster if you receive massage or use a massage gun or foam roller. Additionally, if you’re using a self-massaging tool, there is the possibility (although Dubois says it is small) that you could be too aggressive with it and end up causing further injury. He does not recommend using a foam roller or massage gun before your race or workout, because it could decrease your muscle tension and actually make you more prone to injuries. Instead, he suggests using it before bed.

Reflexology

Dubois likens this type of therapy to acupuncture, noting that whether it works is more dependent on patient belief than anything else. He admits he is not an expert on reflexology, but says that there is no scientific evidence that it is effective.

The bottom line

Mechanical Stress Quantification in running

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Does this mean you should never use any of these types of therapies? Not necessarily — in fact, Dubois will use some of them for his own patients from time to time. He explains that just because the science is inconclusive does not mean we shouldn’t try it, but we have to be critical of everything we see or hear about. So what does Dubois recommend for runners who want to prevent injury?

“80 per cent of the job of preventing injury is load management,” he says. “We need to look at all the stress the person is putting on their body, and we need to be sure that they are in a good zone to create adaptation.”

Runners can help themselves out by having the proper shoes and managing their training volume to a level their bodies can handle, but Dubois says that the two most important ways to prevent injuries are eating well and sleeping well. These two things are far more important than any therapy tool or practice you use.

After years of battling injury and uncertainty, Jake Heyward is proving that resilience can be just as powerful as raw talent. The Welsh middle-distance star has announced his return to the sport in emphatic fashion, producing the performance of his career and emerging as one of the athletes to watch in the men's mile at the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

At the London Diamond League, Heyward delivered a sensational run, finishing as the second-fastest British athlete behind mile world record-holder Josh Kerr. His time of 3:46.73 not only established a new Welsh record but also elevated him to third on the United Kingdom's all-time mile rankings, trailing only Kerr and British legend Steve Cram.

For many athletes, such a breakthrough would simply mark another career milestone. For Heyward, however, it represents the culmination of an extraordinary journey back from one of the toughest periods of his life.

The 26-year-old revealed that before undergoing surgery, he had been competing while suffering from Haglund's deformity, a painful condition affecting the heel that placed constant strain on both Achilles tendons. The problem eventually led to a devastating double Achilles injury, forcing him away from competition for an astonishing 20 months.

Rather than allowing the setback to define him, Heyward used the prolonged rehabilitation to rebuild both physically and mentally. Reflecting on that difficult chapter, he believes the experience has transformed his outlook on the sport.

"I truly believe that, because I've gone through this experience and I've had to ask myself certain questions, I actually understand the sport more. In terms of expectations and times, I'm super excited. I think there's no limit on what I can achieve. Running for Wales once again is a huge motivation."

Those words now carry even greater weight after his record-breaking performance in London.

Heyward's resurgence has injected fresh excitement into British middle-distance running and has positioned him as a genuine contender heading into Glasgow. With renewed confidence, a healthier body, and a deeper appreciation of the sport forged through adversity, he appears ready to challenge the world's best once again.

His journey from nearly two years on the sidelines to becoming Wales' fastest-ever miler is a powerful reminder that some of the greatest victories are earned long before the finish line. If his recent form is any indication, Jake Heyward's comeback story may only be just beginning, and the Commonwealth Games could provide the perfect stage for its next unforgettable chapter.

Australian sprint sensation Torrie Lewis continues to redefine the limits of her remarkable young career after storming to a stunning 11.04 seconds in the women's 100 metres at the TIPOS P-T-S Meeting in Slovakia, setting a new Australian record in breathtaking fashion.

Lewis sliced 0.04 seconds off her own previous national record of 11.08, producing the fastest performance ever by an Australian woman over the distance. Her blistering run confirmed that her rise is no fleeting moment—it is the arrival of one of the world's most exciting sprint talents.

The race itself was a spectacle from start to finish. Lewis exploded from the blocks, held her composure through the drive phase, and unleashed a powerful finish to edge one of the greatest sprinters in history, Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica, who crossed the line in 11.06. Austria's Christania Williams also clocked 11.06, making it one of the most fiercely contested 100-metre races of the meeting.

Beyond the victory, the performance carries even greater significance. Lowering a national record is never easy, especially after already establishing yourself as the country's fastest woman. Yet Lewis demonstrated that she is still finding new levels, delivering a performance that signals she is becoming an increasingly serious contender on the international stage.

The 11.04 clocking is another milestone in a season that continues to gather momentum. With every race, Lewis is proving she possesses not only exceptional speed but also the consistency and composure needed to challenge the world's elite when the stakes are highest.

As global championship season approaches, Australia's sprint star has sent a powerful message to her rivals. If this latest record-breaking performance is any indication, Torrie Lewis is only beginning to reveal the full extent of her potential, and the fastest chapters of her career may still lie ahead.

Some moments in sport transcend generations. They remind us that while records may fall, the spirit of greatness never fades. One such moment unfolded when legendary New Zealand coach Arch Jelley watched Josh Kerr produce a breathtaking 3:42.66 mile world record—not from the stands, but from his bed, sharing the historic occasion with his former athlete, 1988 Olympian Christine Pfitzinger, herself once New Zealand's mile and 1500m record holder.

For most fans, Kerr's astonishing performance was simply another unforgettable chapter in the evolution of middle-distance running. For Jelley, however, it was something far more profound. It was a bridge between two eras separated by more than half a century, connecting the glorious past he helped shape with the remarkable future he lived long enough to witness.

As he approaches his 104th birthday on August 13, Jelley has seen the mile transformed in ways few people ever will. Long before modern technology, advanced sports science and super shoes reshaped the event, he guided one of athletics' greatest pioneers.

On August 12, 1975, in Gothenburg, Sweden, Jelley coached Sir John Walker to a revolutionary 3:49.4, making him the first man in history to break the seemingly impossible 3:50 barrier for the mile. It was a performance that changed the sport forever and cemented Walker's place among the all-time greats. Less than a year later, Walker crowned that success by winning the Olympic 1500m gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Games, fulfilling the promise of one of the finest coach-athlete partnerships athletics has ever known.

Yet Walker was only one chapter in Jelley's extraordinary coaching legacy.

Across more than six decades, the master coach nurtured and inspired countless elite middle- and long-distance runners, earning a reputation for developing athletes through patience, wisdom and an unwavering belief in their potential. Even retirement could not keep him away from the sport he loved. At the remarkable age of 93, Jelley returned to coaching to help Hamish Carson qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, proving that passion for excellence has no expiration date.

Now, more than fifty years after witnessing Walker redefine what was possible, Jelley has watched another runner push the boundaries of human performance. Josh Kerr's magnificent 3:42.66 was not merely a new world record—it was another milestone in the endless pursuit of greatness, one observed by a man who has devoted almost an entire lifetime to that very journey.

There is something beautifully symbolic about the scene: a coach who once stood trackside guiding history now watching a new generation rewrite it through the lens of modern technology. The setting may have changed, but the emotion remains the same.

Few people in athletics can claim to have witnessed the evolution of the mile from the dawn of the sub-3:50 era to today's astonishing world-record performances. Arch Jelley can.

His life is more than a coaching story—it is a living timeline of the mile itself. From John Walker's historic breakthrough in 1975 to Josh Kerr's record-shattering masterpiece in 2026, Jelley has remained a constant witness to the relentless pursuit of human excellence, proving that while champions come and go, the love of the sport endures across every generation.

When Sir Roger Bannister crossed the finish line in Oxford on May 6, 1954, in 3:59.4, he did far more than become the first man to run a sub-four-minute mile. He demolished one of sport's greatest psychological barriers, proving that what had long been considered impossible was simply waiting for someone bold enough to achieve it.

More than seven decades later, that historic run remains the most famous mile ever raced—not because it is still the fastest, but because it transformed athletics forever. Bannister's achievement inspired generations of runners to dream bigger, train harder and believe that seemingly unreachable barriers could be broken.

Today, however, the mile has entered an entirely different dimension.

Josh Kerr's sensational 3:42.66 world record has redefined the limits of middle-distance running. In one unforgettable race, the Scottish star erased Hicham El Guerrouj's legendary 3:43.13 mark that had stood untouched since 1999, proving once again that every era has its athlete capable of rewriting history.

The numbers tell a remarkable story of progress. If Bannister's iconic 3:59.4 were placed in the same race as Kerr's 3:42.66, the man who first conquered the sub-four-minute barrier would finish almost 17 seconds behind. At the pace Kerr sustained, that deficit would amount to well over 100 metres—an extraordinary margin in an event where the world's best are often separated by hundredths of a second.

Yet those statistics should never be mistaken for a comparison of greatness. Bannister and Kerr competed in vastly different eras, under different conditions and with entirely different levels of sports science, training knowledge, footwear technology and track surfaces. Bannister raced on a cinder track wearing heavy leather spikes, balancing elite athletics with his demanding medical studies. Kerr benefits from decades of scientific advancement, world-class support systems and cutting-edge equipment that have helped athletes push the boundaries of human performance.

Every generation has added another chapter to the mile's extraordinary story. Just weeks after Bannister's breakthrough, Australia's John Landy lowered the record to 3:57.9. The baton then passed through legendary names including Derek Ibbotson, Herb Elliott, Peter Snell, Michel Jazy, Jim Ryun, Filbert Bayi, John Walker, Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett, Steve Cram, Noureddine Morceli and Hicham El Guerrouj. Each champion dared to believe the record could fall again, leaving the event stronger than they found it.

Josh Kerr is now the latest custodian of that legacy. His world record is not simply another fast time—it is the culmination of more than 80 years of relentless progress. Every stride he took was built upon the courage, ambition and achievements of those who came before him.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the mile is how dramatically its meaning has changed. In 1954, the world was captivated by one question: Could anyone ever run under four minutes? Today, the conversation has shifted to how much further the event can evolve. With Kerr already under 3:43, the now-unthinkable prospect of a sub 3:42 mile no longer feels like fantasy but a genuine possibility for the future.

That is the enduring beauty of athletics. Every world record eventually falls, but the performances that redefine belief never fade. Bannister's sub-four-minute mile remains the sport's most iconic breakthrough because it changed the way humanity viewed its own limits. Kerr's 3:42.66 is the newest benchmark of excellence, standing as proof that the impossible is never permanent—it is simply the starting point for the next generation.

Josh Kerr has already etched his name into athletics history with a breathtaking world mile record of 3:42.66, but the numbers hidden within that extraordinary performance suggest an even greater achievement could be just around the corner.

While the world celebrated the fastest mile ever run, another remarkable statistic quietly emerged. On his way to that historic finish, Kerr passed the 1,500m mark in an astonishing 3:27.62—the seventh-fastest performance ever recorded over the distance and just 1.62 seconds outside Hicham El Guerrouj's iconic world record of 3:26.00, which has stood as one of athletics' greatest benchmarks for more than a quarter of a century.

What makes Kerr's split so extraordinary is the context in which it was achieved.

Unlike a dedicated 1,500m race, Kerr wasn't running to the finish line when he reached 1,500 metres. He still had another 109 metres remaining before completing the mile. Throughout the race, he had to carefully distribute his effort, knowing there was still significant work left after crossing the traditional 1,500m distance.

His world-record mile required approximately 724 strides, each averaging about 2.22 metres in length. By the time he reached the 1,500m split, he still had enough energy reserved to launch one final charge toward the mile finish, meaning he could not afford to completely exhaust himself at that point.

That reality has fuelled growing excitement across the athletics community.

Imagine Kerr lining up for a race built solely around the 1,500m. With elite pacemakers setting the perfect rhythm from the gun, competitors pushing the pace all the way to the finish, and no need to save anything for an additional 109 metres, the conditions would be dramatically different. Every stride, every surge and every ounce of energy could be devoted exclusively to chasing one target—the world record.

Many athletics experts believe that under those ideal circumstances, bridging the remaining 1.62 seconds is far from impossible. In fact, they see it as a realistic challenge for an athlete who has consistently demonstrated remarkable finishing speed, tactical intelligence and the ability to perform under immense pressure.

Hicham El Guerrouj's 3:26.00 has long been regarded as one of the most untouchable records in middle-distance running. Yet every era eventually produces an athlete capable of redefining what was once thought impossible.

After witnessing Kerr's astonishing mile masterpiece, the conversation has shifted dramatically. The question is no longer whether he belongs among the greatest milers in history—it is whether he can become the man who finally brings down one of the sport's most enduring world records.

If his latest performance is any indication, the countdown to another historic assault may already have begun.