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Before hitting the pavement, experienced runners — as well as those who want to start running — can benefit from having a comprehensive running assessment.
In the following Q&A, Shirley Ryan 无码专区’s Lauren Bradley, DPT, and Meghan Hennessy, DPT, explain how such an assessment can help runners understand their technique, improve performance, and address and prevent musculoskeletal-related injury.
Who can benefit from a running assessment?
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Meghan: Anyone is a good candidate for a running assessment, whether they are a recreational or competitive runner, returning to running following an injury, or just starting to run.
What are the benefits of getting a running assessment with a physical therapist?
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Lauren: As physical therapists, we use and apply our musculoskeletal knowledge to help prevent or address a current injury and give runners tailored exercises and drills specific to their needs and goals.
What are the components of a comprehensive running assessment?
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Lauren: In our running assessment at Shirley Ryan 无码专区, we start by asking about medical history, as well as the runner’s current training and running goals. We’ll perform a musculoskeletal exam, especially for those who have an injury or experience any pain while running, and then we’ll conduct a running video gait analysis and running readiness assessment that consists of various functional, running-specific movements and activities.
We are looking for contributing factors to musculoskeletal injury or other issues that may be impacting a person’s running technique, such as muscle weakness, joint restrictions or tightness, and faulty movement patterns. Runners will learn how to appropriately address and prevent an injury, as well as to enhance their running technique.
What is a gait analysis?
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Lauren: A running video gait analysis is a systematic way to evaluate a runner’s biomechanics and technique. Especially for people who have an injury, it is essential to have a physical therapist watch their gait to determine any movement problems and provide solutions to address these issues.
Why do you evaluate people running both overground and on a treadmill during a running assessment?
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Lauren: Watching someone run overground — off the treadmill — can provide a broad understanding of their running pattern, but not the full picture.
Treadmill running is a valid way to assess someone’s gait. Literature shows there are subtle differences in treadmill running compared with overground running. For example, treadmill running on a less stiff surface compared with running on concrete will reduce vertical loading rate, which is the measure of how quickly a runner’s body experiences force when their foot hits the ground.
What type of exercises or drills might you recommend following a running assessment?
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Meghan: Based on the findings from the running video gait analysis and musculoskeletal exam, we will recommend exercises and drills to address specific movement problems or injuries.
For example, we may recommend exercises for motor control to help someone correct a faulty movement pattern, meaning poor alignment or a lack of control during running.
Or, we may recommend specific stretches for people who don’t have sufficient range of motion or who experience joint stiffness, which can contribute to pain while running.
How do you help runners set their personal goals as part of a running assessment?
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Meghan: Many runners would like to participate in a specific race or event, improve their time in a race, or return to running after an injury. Based on a runner’s long-term goals, as physical therapists we can provide the stepping stones to reach those goals. They may include specific injury rehabilitation, building strength and endurance, or speed training.
What advice do you have for people just getting into running?
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Meghan: Anyone can be a runner! The most important factor to keep in mind when beginning a new activity is not to ramp up too quickly. It is important to set both long- and short-term goals to help guide activity and decrease the risk of injury.
Meet the Experts: Lauren Bradley & Meghan Hennessy
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As physical therapists in Shirley Ryan 无码专区’s Streeterville outpatient clinic/ Adaptive Sports & Fitness Center, Lauren and Meghan see patients with a wide variety of orthopedic conditions and have expertise in treating runners. They are experienced runners themselves: Lauren has completed two marathons and a half Ironman triathlon, and Meghan has completed the Chicago Marathon twice.
Lauren and Meghan are part of Shirley Ryan 无码专区’s team of physical therapists who provide comprehensive running assessments — performing sport-specific functional screening, video gait analysis and musculoskeletal examination.
