The Benefits of Getting a Running Analysis by a Physical Therapist
Running can be a wonderful way to get aerobic exercise and fresh air here in the Pacific Northwest, weather permitting of course. There are many categories of runners, and whether you’re brand new to the activity, do it recreationally to give your dog some exercise too, or compete in races, it’s good to know a bit more about how you’re running so that you can address any impairments before they lead to a sidelining injury.
Studies have shown that each heel strike while running produces a force equal to two to three times your body weight. That’s a pretty significant amount for your bones, tendons, muscles and joints to withstand as you stroll along the pavement while enjoying your favorite music in your earbuds. As physical therapists, we want to make sure that you have good baseline strength, mobility, and motor control for these high demands that running places on your body. Because the goal is to do this activity we love for as long as we can, right?
At Sea Pines Physical Therapy, we are proud to announce that we offer running analysis appointments in our clinic space. Our clinician Jen Davis has been taking courses to further her knowledge on running analysis and treating runners. These appointments can be tailored to address a current running related injury, or to help prevent future ones. And what’s wonderful about the current evolution of research, is that we have great tools to utilize through clinical examination that can prevent injury from occurring in the first place.
Our running analysis appointments typically consist of:
Treadmill running with ipad video capture from two to three different angles
Interactive walk through of the analysis to discuss current running movement patterns and mechanics that may be causing overload to various regions of the body
Mobility and strength screening to zone in on areas of focus, and finally
Programming of specific exercises, drills and stretches that will help to improve your efficiency
So, whether you’re dealing with a current running-related injury, have an injury that is holding you back from your running goals, or want to just improve your efficiency with running and prevent a future injury, we’re here to help!
