running
Running is proven to offer a wealth of health benefits as well as being great for your emotional and mental health – no wonder over 2.2 million* adults are running on a regular basis in the UK.
As every runner knows, the risk of a recurring injury can prevent have crippling effects on your enjoyment of the sport – or even stop you running altogether. Whether you are running for pleasure or in training for competitions, understanding your movement and technique can reduce the risk of injuries and improve your performance overall.
Common injuries caused by overuse:
- Achilles and Patella Tendinopathy
- Patellofemoral Pain (pain in or around the kneecap)
- Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITB) pain on the outside of the knee
- Hamstring Tendinopathy
- Calf pain
*statistics from www.sportengland.org
Address niggling pains, prevent future injuries, improve your running form, run further and faster – book our Videoed Running Analysis for your personal assessment.
Note: Where an existing injury or acute pain is preventing you from running, please book in for a physiotherapy appointment first. Compensating for existing pain will impact on your normal gait and should be assessed before moving on to a running assessment.
running assessments
History:
The first step is to review your running history and uncover any frequent or recurring pains. We’ll also discuss both your training schedule, and your general life and occupation.
Strength and Conditioning:
Next, we’ll take a look at how robust your body is, and how well it copes with running. We’ll discuss any areas you need to work on, such as flexibility, strength, balance or coordination.
Videoed Running Gait Analysis:
Using our in-house equipment, we’ll video you running. Then, with slow-motion video analysis, we assess the rear and side view of your body in motion. You’ll see the factors we consider, including cadence (steps per minute), stride length and the position of your pelvis and trunk.
Plan:
By combining all of the information we can identify the cause of issues you have and how each factor impacts on your running performance.
We’ll create a plan that addresses any issues and practise them with you during the session, so that you not only understand the results, you can feel the difference. This helps you maintain the movement once you begin training again. If we have found any strength and conditioning issues, we’ll design a personalised programme of exercises at the same time.
You’ll receive a copy of the plan by email, so don’t worry about remembering it all. We also have a free PT Momentum app that you can use to track your progress – and to receive gentle reminders from us if you choose.
follow up appointments
We recommend a follow up after 3-4 weeks of following your programme. This allows us to check and tweak the exercises as needed and assess your progress. We’ll also re-video you running to compare this to the original.
If you would like further reviews, we are happy to work with you. By regularly assessing your running and rehabilitation we can refine and improve your technique with you.
We believe that it’s vital you fully understand the exercises we recommend and the way they are intended to help you. That’s why we ensure each appointment has enough time to go through the detail. Clear instructions for you to follow will result in less appointments and a better outcome for your rehabilitation.