We provide endurance sport assessment and analysis so that you can "Move Right, Be Better."
Have you ever looked at a race photo of yourself and said, "Is that what I really look like?" You are not alone and the reality is it is so important to be aware of how your body moves and how your physical attributes influence that movement. This information is made even more valuable when synthesized and analyzed by a Doctor of Physical Therapy and high-level endurance athlete. With an intimate
08/30/2019
Trying to return to running after pregnancy? Consider meeting with a pelvic floor specialist to help you with the process.
can be hard on your body. Physical Therapy with a focus on your deep core muscles and pelvic floor can help you get back to your best. For more insight see what our specialist has to say about it: https://www.alliancephysicaltherapy.com/beyond-kegels
09/05/2018
Event Schedule| Penn Hills, PA | Alliance Physical Therapy Check in to see what events are going on at Alliance Physical Therapy in Penn Hills, PA or in Murrysville, PA. Call us today at 412-242-7880 for more information.
01/30/2018
It's time for a paradigm shift!! Away with the RICE.
Sports medicine experts MOVE on with evidence-based advice Is prolonged rest best for an acute injury or musculoskeletal problem? No, it’s actually harmful. Steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for banged-up ligaments or muscles? …
01/27/2018
New "Dear Endurance Athlete" Blog series.
Dear Endurance Athlete: Embrace Your Weakness | EnduraDoc: Endurance Athlete Movement Ehancement Dear Endurance Athlete, EMBRACE YOUR WEAKNESS!! Identification of weakness, tightness, and/or m...
06/17/2016
New blog post. Dont lose training time becuase of factors that are easily modified!
Bone Overuse: the three keys to prevention | EnduraDoc: Endurance Athlete Movement Ehancement I have recently been reminded about the importance of being aware of the signs and symptoms associated with bone stress injuries (aka- pre-stress fractu...
For the best way to manage a training injury, check out our new blog post: http://www.enduradoc.com/ #!So-youre-injured-now-what/clfr/56a76f0c0cf2cede5a50b2bf
So you're injured, now what?! | EnduraDoc: Endurance Athlete Movement Enhancement It sounds like a simple question, but endurance athletes struggle with it every day. The reality is that up to 92% of runners get injured at some point in the...
11/05/2015
Stability shoes and orthotics is too much stability! This prevents NORMAL pronation that needs to occur at the mid-stance phase of the gait cycle. We need to get the word out to runners and running shoe sales reps.
10/27/2015
A new study in JOPST is a Systematic Review of running form with respect to kinetic and kinematic variables.
AKA: A sports and orthopedic physical therapy journal has a study in it that combines a bunch of other studies to form some kind of consensus on a runner's form and how it impacts their joint angles (kinematic) and their impact forces (kinetic).
What did they find out?
-Forefoot strikers have increased ankle plantar flexion (toes towards ground) and knee flexion (towards buttock) at foot strike
-Rearfoot strikers have increased ankle dorsiflexion (toes towards nose) and knee extension.
-Rearfoot strikers have higher vertical (up and down) loading rates that forefoot runners.
What does this all mean?!
-This helps support the idea that running style influences impacts through body.
-Shows that there is more to running form than just changing footwear.
What should you do about this?
Get your running analyzed by a professional and make the appropriate changes to keep you running for life!
*Important note: This study discusses the fact that forefoot striking puts increased loads through the calf musculature. This can lead to overuse injuries. For this reason and many other reasons, these changes need to be made SLOWLY and with professional guidance.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26304644
Biomechanical Differences of Foot-Strike Patterns During Running: A Systematic Review With... J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2015 Oct;45(10):738-55. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2015.6019. Epub 2015 Aug 24.
“Humans are structurally and physiologically developed for long-distance running, which likely evolved during our time as hunters and gatherers.”
- Warden, et al, 2014
Why are 20-79% of runners injured at some point in training?
Because we do not prepare our bodies for the stresses that running puts on it:
“When basic movement is limited or compromised, it follows the natural laws of energy conservation, compensation, and avoidance of pain, avoidance of unfamiliar, and essential tendencies of survival.”
Gray Cook, The Movement Book
Interested In learning a little more about what EndurDoc can do for you as a runner? Come to our interactive seminar this Wednesday, September 23rd at 6:30!
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Next Level Spine & Sports Injury Center, LLC
Wexford PA's premier chiropractor specializing in acute and chronic pain and sports injuries.
724-719-2900
www.NextLevelSpineandSports.com
08/25/2015
Article Review #5: Gait Retraining for Injured and Healthy Runners Using Augmented Feedback: A Systematic Literature Review
Hypothesis: “The aim of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of real-time visual and/or auditory feedback to modify kinematic and kinetic gait patterns that have been associated with running injury.”
The primary goal of this study was to review all of the current evidence on gait retraining and draw conclusions based upon the combined results. The study states that this is an important area to focus research because of the high injury rate of runners and the prior findings of altered running mechanics in injured runners. Those studies not only demonstrated improved mechanics, but more importantly, demonstrated decreased pain and dysfunction that came along with these changes in mechanics. This suggests that if we can have an influence on the running mechanics we should be able to have improved long-term outcomes from our interventions.
In a systematic review there is a specific process of literature review that ends up narrowing the studies examined down based upon search criteria. In the case of this review the authors found 10 studies that fit into their criteria. These studies examined the influence of changes in running mechanics on two different types of variables: kinetic and kinematic. Kinetic variables are measures of how the body influences its environment when moving (ie- force of impact on ground, aka ground reaction force). Kinematic variables measure how the body itself moves (ie position of knee through gait pattern). The primary type of feedback examined was augmented visual and/or auditory feedback. Visual feedback was given in the form of a video camera or mirror. Auditory feedback was typically given in the form of a metronome.
The study found that regular augmented feedback had a good influence on kinematic variables but no influence on kinetic. To influence kinetic variables it seems necessary to have the athlete partake in running specific drills. Of the two forms of augmented feedback there does not appear to be a clear superior method with regards to results, however, for the most part the study participants seemed to prefer the auditory feedback. Between the studies there was also no clear ideal number of training sessions other than a strong indication that multiple training sessions are superior to just one. The typical dosage of training sessions was around five weeks, one session/week.
My Opinion: This article was very useful for me because it does a great job of synthesizing the data that is currently available for the influence of changing running mechanics on injury. In the EnduraDoc running assessments we utilize both forms of feedback and incorporate drill training into the program. By doing this it is my hope to have a good influence on both kinetic and kinematic variables, making the individual a more efficient runner.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26158882
Gait Retraining for Injured and Healthy Runners Using Augmented Feedback: A Systematic... J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2015 Aug;45(8):576-84. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2015.5823. Epub 2015 Jul 9.
08/13/2015
Female runners are 2x more likely than their male counterparts to sustain s running injury. Many point to a difference in lower extremity mechanics as a reason (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24444222/?i=5&from=gender%20differences%20and%20running%20injury). This does seem plausible but considering the most accepted sedition the of "running injury" meaning a loss of training days as a result of the injury (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/25808527/?i=4&from=jospt%20and%20running%20injury) could it be that females just have more common sense than males? Meaning they actually stop running when they feel pain but makes run through it.
As with most things in science it is almost certainly a combination of factors. And typically the human mind is likely more involved than most physical scientists would like to admit.
Gender differences in hip and ankle joint kinematics on knee abduction during running. - PubMed... Eur J Sport Sci. 2014;14 Suppl 1:S302-9. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2012.693953. Epub 2012 Jun 19. Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't