Gait Analysis
In May 2009, Christopher McDougall published
Born to Run. An enjoyable read, this New
York Times Best Seller, challenged the running
community and running shoe manufacturers by
asserting that cushioned running shoe are a major
cause of running injuries. From this was born the
barefoot running trend and the minimalist running
shoes. This trend, sparked by Chris’ book and seen
as an opportunity by the shoe manufacturing giants,
has faded like the latest trendy diet.
So, the question beckons, if the presence or
absence of cushion in your running shoes does not
predict running injuries, then what does?
Imagine for a moment, driving your automobile and
getting into an accident. Does the impact mean you
will suffer injury? It does not. What determines your
injury is the rate of impact, the angle at which you
collided with the surface, the stiffness of the surface
with which you collided, the design and shock
absorbing features of the car, the health of the
driver, etc. Predicting injuries from auto accidents
is complex science.
Just like the auto accident, forecasting running
injuries is multifactorial and equally as complex.
After hearing your story and analyzing the following
data points, we can reason which risk factors are
contributing to your running injury. In Gait Analysis,
we examine the following variables of your running:
• Shock absorption via joint angles
• Vertical bounce
• Cadence and ground contact time
• Stride width
• Trunk position
• Foot and shin angle at contact
Keeping runner’s injury free, like protecting drivers,
is a complex puzzle that we specialize in solving. If
you are ready to look for a solution to your injury,
contact us. We’re ready to help you.
