Runner’s Biomechanical Assessment
Many people, performing at various levels enjoy running. Whether you run for competition, recreation, or simply to improve health and fitness, your body’s biomechanics greatly affect your running experience. The Runner’s Biomechanical Assessment is a detailed 90-minute professional evaluation of your gait, muscle strength, weakness or imbalances, joint range of motion, and footwear suitability, followed by specific recommendations designed to enhance your running, whatever your goals are. And if you're running hurt, or not running because of injury, the Runner’s Biomechanical Assessment is for you too. Read below for details about what it entails.
Range of Motion Assessment
Your practitioner will assess your lower extremity ranges of motion and breathing patterns, with the goal of identifying asymmetries, dysfunctions, or restrictions within these joints. Specific recommendations can then be made about particular stretches or strengthening exercises.
Video Gait Analysis
Your running form will be analyzed through a treadmill gait analysis. This will be recorded from multiple angles, allowing the practitioner to break down various aspects of your gait.
Strength Assessment
A variety of running-specific strength tests will be utilized. The goal of these tests will be to assess your muscular endurance and muscular strength imbalances or weakness, which then can be addressed with different strengthening exercises.
Footwear Recommendations
Upon evaluation of your range of motion, strength, and gait, the practitioner will make specific recommendations about what to look for in a running shoe to fit your mechanics.
Injury Evaluation
For those running in pain, or not running because of pain, the evaluation facilitates the identification of an injury’s origins and formulation of a personal rehabilitation plan designed to return you to pain-free running. All of our practitioners are experienced Doctors of Chiropractic with extensive knowledge of physical rehabilitation, experts in diagnosis and explanation of specific conditions observed, and the creation of patient-centered rehabilitative plans to address them.
Recommendations + Plan
The assessment can help athletes identify and alter aspects of their mechanics, leading to improvements in their running times or efficiency. For the injured athletes, the evaluation can be utilized to pinpoint specific causes of these injuries. Your provider will share his/her rehabilitation plan to resolve any existing injury and return to running pain free.
For the injury-free runner, your provider will share recommendations in line with your running goals and based on the findings of the assessment. Recommendations may range from specific rehab movements and progressions, to specific footwear, to modifications of or additions to your current running regimen (speed/distance/frequency).