Running Analysis Focus Points
As a physical therapist who works with many runners in Minneapolis, I often recommend to them that we perform a running analysis. A physical therapy evaluation can find many deficits in strength/mobility/tissue tolerance, but the best way to see what is causing pain when you run is, well, get you running!
I have my Minneapolis and Twin Cities athletes in the physical therapy clinic perform a running analysis on a treadmill, which I know doesn’t directly simulate trail or track running, but it can give good angles to photo and videotape. This post is going to touch on the focal points I observe when performing a running analysis for my running athletes in the physical therapy clinic.
I always videotape from the back of the athlete and from the side fo the athlete in my running analysis sessions. We can gain so much information here, but the biggest items are foot strike, stride length, arm swing, hip drop, and knee absorption angle. Without diving too deep into each of these, this addresses our contact point, the next three joints up (knee, hip and pelvis), and then propulsion components (arm swing and knee absorption angle).
To give a small thing for you to work on right now, many issues in running stride are improved with taking shorter steps (speeding up running cadence but not speeding up pace) and with mastering arm swing to not cross midline. Many runners have issues with poor arm swing and with overstriding, so I see these things as the low hanging fruit to tackle first on your own as you read this. The other items can be more tricky, so that’s where getting a running analysis can be valuable for anyone because all running strides are so different!
Need assistance in pain free running? Let’s chat! I would be happy to discuss further how Loon State Physical Therapy can be a teammate in getting you back to moving and feeling your best! Call us at (612) 405-8503 or book with us online at www.loonstatephysicaltherapy.com for an in-person or virtual appointment.
Until next time!
Andrew Eccles
Owner and Physical Therapist at Loon State Physical Therapy
