Author: Amy Barnett
Gait analysis; a new and innovative method for reducing injury and improving performance in runners, walkers, and other athletes.
Over the last quarter century, running has taken North America by Storm. With the appearance of numerous social running groups and “fun” running events the sport has become appealing to people of all backgrounds and body types. The benefits of a consistent running program are well documented and include stress release, reduced body fat, and increased self esteem; to name a few. Many individuals count on their regular runs as time to socialize, to enjoy nature, or to be alone with their thoughts. It is for these reasons that recreational and competitive runners alike have a hard time accepting an injury.
Unfortunately, the current statistics on injuries do not reflect favorably on runners and joggers, with estimates of anywhere from 24-85% of runners experiencing an injury each year. To understand why this happens consider this; runners typically take over 10,000 steps in one hour. With a significant impact shock occurring at each heel strike that is transmitted to the soft tissues via the skeleton, considerable stress is placed on the muscles, tendons, bones, and joints. Although the body is designed to adapt to repetitive force, certain structural characteristics and movement patterns will tend to overstress specific areas of the body during running.
A new focus to overuse injuries
In the 1960’s most sports medical attention was directed to the diagnosis and treatment of more acute type injuries. This included injuries resulting from direct impact, and falls such as ankle sprains, dislocated shoulders, ACL ruptures, and concussions to name a few. This focus has been forced to shift, however, with the increasing popularity of running and other endurance–based sports. Now an escalating number of the sports injuries seen today are what we term overuse injuries. These are injuries where a specific structure or area of the body, such as a joint, muscle, or bone, is exposed to small but repetitive force beyond the abilities of that specific structure to withstand.
Overuse injuries tend to be more complex to both diagnose and treat than acute injuries, as the exact cause is rarely readily apparent and in most cases is the result of multiple factors. Simply treating the area of pain is no longer an acceptable course of action. Instead, the multiple contributors to injury must also be identified to prevent reoccurrence upon return to normal activity. This is where methods such as gait analysis have proven useful in the medical setting.
What is gait analysis?
Specialists often use the terms gait and walking interchangeably but technically, they do not mean the same thing. Gait describes the actual method or style of walking or running, not the walking process or action itself.
We look at gait as consisting of multiple gait cycles, one cycle beginning when one foot comes in contact with the ground at heel strike and ends when that same foot contacts the ground on it’s next step. Using pictures, video, and other digital technology specialists can break down one stride or gait cycle into more specific pieces of movement patterns as a method of analysing full body movement function. So a gait analysis is basically an investigation of a particular individual’s walking or running mechanics or technique.
Specialists will look intricately at everything from the way the arms swing, to spine and hip posture, to the way the feet move while a person is performing a walking or running motion. The goal is to identify “abnormal” movement that may be contributing to or be a result of injury and reduced efficiency.
Come back in two weeks and read Part II to find out: what is involved with gait analysis.
© Copyright, PeopleMenders.com Inc., 2009. All Rights Reserved.
About the Author
Amy Barnett graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Biomechanics. Through advanced biomechanical and digital video gait analysis, Amy is assisting recreational and elite athletes in perfecting their stride mechanics to be both injury preventative and efficient.
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