In the past year I have taken up running. Many runners have come to South Simcoe Physiotherapy over the years. There seems to be a variety of injuries that are very common in the sport of running. One client spoke to me once about a gait analysis that she did and how it helped her decrease her injuries. This always made me wonder how people get so into running. Well now, here I am…A RUNNER!
Recently, I signed up for my first ever “competitive” 5km run which takes place on Sunday April 28th called the New Tecumseth Memorial Run. The event supports the Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation here in Alliston, Ontario. The link for pledges can be found here: https://www.events.runningroom.com/site/15640/new-tecumseth-memorial-2019/?vrindex=8 .
Setting a goal and focusing on training has made me understand more of why people become so connected to running. It has caused me to make more of an investment in my profession as a physiotherapist to find out more about how I can provide service to the participants of this sport. One of those things is learning about gait analysis.
I have heard about gait analysis and how it can help a runner or walker detect how their biomechanics could be contributing to their injuries. This past weekend there was an opportunity to learn more about running and how to help people who become injured. The course also taught how to apply a clients gait analysis to physiotherapy in the course “New trends in the Prevention of Running Injuries” and was taught by the group The Running Clinic.
The course was held in Ottawa, Ontario and was also a great opportunity to meet up with colleagues in the field of physiotherapy. Matt Sanchez PT (Neurochangers Whitby) was also in attendance and share in the learning experience.
The course, which entailed two 10 hour days, was one of the more enjoyable and applicable courses that I’ve taken in a while. The course covered a variety of topics from gait analysis and assessment, strategies to improve performance and reduce risk of injury, common injuries in runners, treatment strategies, choosing the right shoe, and proper training schedules.
This course has certainly improved my ability to answer many of the tough questions I am asked on a regular basis and is a great compliment to the new gait analysis technology we have at the clinic! Gait analysis is the key to making a runner better understand how they run and will help them become more efficient in the sport.
South Simcoe Physiotherapy Clinic recently acquired a 3D gait analysis program called the Kinetigait. Kinetigait is a gait analysis program which uses the latest technology developed by a group of University of Calgary researchers. This program allows us to record an individual while running (or walking) and identify areas of variability from the normative data. It gives us information such as speed, stride length, cadence etc. and also will allow us to compare one trial to another once suggestions/treatment has occurred.
The gait analysis gives the individual visual feedback allowing them to see areas of concern and how to correct these. The gait analysis can be helpful in assessing both running and walking, making it applicable to almost everyone. It will allow us to delve deeper into both injury concerns as well as performance.
If you are a recreational or competitive runner, someone that has pain during or after walking, or just want to have a gait analysis performed, call us today!