Two weeks ago I had the privilege of participating in Sapphire Physical Therapy’s new 2D Real Time Video Running Gait Analysis and I’m excited to share my experience. Sapphire has been a major partner in the Montana running community for many years and they continue to show their commitment to keeping us healthy and running strong as the only PT clinic in the Northwest to have an on-site 2D Running Gait Analysis System.”
-Mike Foote, RE employee & The North Face ultra runner
What does a 2D Running Gait Analysis involve?
For all the amazing and detailed data you can collect from this analysis, the process is actually quite simple. The Sapphire staff just asked that I wear running clothes for the appointment. Upon arrival we discussed my running history and any current or chronic injuries I struggle with. I then hopped on the treadmill and ran while the surface was flat for a couple of minutes and also on an incline for a couple more minutes. Meanwhile they filmed me from two different angles with cameras which picked up on the LED lights they had taped to my body. These highlighted the actual angles of my joints as I ran in each phase of my running stride. After finishing, we then watched the video together in slow motion. Frame by frame we were able to see objectively what occurs in my running form.
What I learned about my form:
I went into the analysis with no current injuries, though, I have struggled with tendonitis in my right achilles and left posterior tibialis tendons. Through this clear data we found that my hip drops slightly on my left side, which led to an asymmetry that stressed my lower leg. We also found that my ankle dorsiflexes a little beyond the average angle. This too can cause unneeded stress on my lower legs and also cause me to be less efficient in my form. If this doesn’t lead directly to injury, it will indeed keep me from reaching the full potential of my competitive goals. We then discussed certain exercises I can do to address these issues.
Take Aways:
Sapphire’s 2D Running Gait Analysis System is a fantastic tool in learning about what may be causing an injury or even exposing certain deficiencies which coul
d lead to injury down the road. Though the amount of data produced in the analysis can feel overwhelming, the staff at Sapphire PT do a great job of breaking the information down into bite sized pieces for you to understand. They also then highlight a few actionable things you can do to address deficiencies and strengthen certain areas.
Who can benefit from this running analysis?
This is for all runners who have either been injured, are struggling from an injury or would like to avoid injury. Yep, that’s pretty much everyone! So, if you would like to utilize this great tool to improve your running and ward off injury, I highly recommend you schedule an appointment with Sapphire PT today. Check out their website explaining their Running Analysis and give them a call at 406-549-5283 to schedule an appointment.
