Video Gait Anaylsis

After a long snowy winter, it looks like it is finally time to get outside and enjoy what will hopefully be a sunny Minnesota spring and summer.  For some exercise enthusiasts, this means a welcomed transition from the monotonous treadmill running experience to taking advantage of our beautiful running trails and parks in the metro area.  For some, it means restarting their exercise program all together after a winter break.  Either way, it is important to make a plan and gradually increase your exercise intensity and duration to prevent injury and over training.  In this post, OSR Physical Therapy would like to highlight the benefits of having a video gait analysis done BEFORE you begin your outdoor running program for the summer.

Recreational running, whether 5k or marathon distances, is an activity thousands of Minnesotans enjoy to stay in shape and satisfy the desire for competition and achieve personal goals.  Many individuals who currently run, want to begin running, or have no interest in running for that matter, have the belief that running causes injury or even leads to the development of arthritis in the knees, hips, and other parts of the body.  Based on hundreds of scientific studies over the past two decades, it is clear that the act of running itself does not cause injury, bad running form and bad planning do.  

One powerful tool that many people use to improve their running form is video gait analysis.  At OSR Physical Therapy, we have highly trained, experienced therapists that use video gait analysis to identify key muscle weakness, joint range of motion, and running form problems which may be causing a runner to be injured, increase their risk of being injured, or simply limiting their performance or ability to run longer distances.  Based on the results of a video gait analysis, our physical therapists are able to develop a personalized stretching and exercise program, recommend running footwear, and work with a runner on their form to minimize stress to joints and ligaments, decrease energy expenditure, and maximize running efficiency.  Using video gait analysis, and as experts in human movement and corrective exercise, we have been able to assist countless local runners from Olympic level competitors to the causal, low mileage exercise enthusiast in achieving more enjoyment while running as well as improving performance.

Remember, you do not have to be an elite athlete to enjoy the powerful benefits of video gait analysis!  One common mistake people make is thinking this service is extremely expensive and only for the athletes they see on TV.  It is not.  In fact, video gait analysis may be more useful for the beginner who does not know how fast they should run, how long they should stride, what running style they should use, or what shoe they should wear.  The answers are not black and white.  They are specific to each individual runner and having a video gait analysis done is the single BEST way to get started on a successful spring and summer of running!

Please check out these links for information on running benefits, shoes, run clubs, and a quick demonstration of our video gait analysis.

OSR Physical Therapy Gait Analysis    

Runners Are More Active and Live Longer Later In Life       

Minnesota Distance Running Association

Running Does NOT cause Arthritis In The Knee

 

TC Running Company Website

                

We are also offering 50% off our Video Gait Analysis at certain times of the month.  If you are interested in learning more about our discounts check out our previous post on Gait Analysis Discounts. 

For more info on our programs contact:

Josh Rolfes and Dana Birkholtz

Video Game Injury Prevention

Enjoy weekend video games? Here are tips for you and your kids on how to stay in the game!

Rotator Cuff Strength

In follow up to last week's discussion on baseball, one area to focus on strengthening for injury prevention is the rotator cuff. This is not only important for baseball, but also for anyone who plays a sport or performs a daily activity that involves lots of shoulder motion.


 

Here is a video on the proper technique to perform rotator cuff strengthening:



Here is a video of how NOT to strengthen the rotator cuff. This exercise actually works the biceps:
This exercise is for advanced shoulder strength, but does NOT work to isolate the rotator cuff well:

Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers (PBATS) Baseball Conference

The days are getting longer, which can only mean one thing . . . baseball and softball seasons are right around the corner. Brian Ommen, DPT and Cole Abernathy, ATR recently attended the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers (PBATS) Baseball Conference in Baltimore, MD. 

This continuing education opportunity covered common baseball injuries from head to toe.

One of the most heavily covered topics (and rightfully so) was the throwing shoulder and arm. Many games, seasons and even careers have ended due to shoulder and elbow injuries. 

Increased chance for injury can usually be attributed to three things: poor strength/conditioning, overuse and poor throwing mechanics. 

Poor rotator cuff and scapular strength is often the culprit when assessing a throwing injury. It is vital to maintain strength both during the season as well as through the winter. To strengthen these muscles, high reps with low weight will target the muscles needed to stabilize the shoulder region.

Overuse is also common in throwing injuries and is the most avoidable of the three mentioned above. Most youth baseball leagues now have pitch counts to avoid extreme overuse. A few things to think about when assessing overuse include: feeling of arm fatigue/soreness, participating in multiple baseball/softball leagues, age, and even perceived performance.

Poor throwing mechanics will frequently put unneeded stress on the throwing shoulder and elbow. Most people think of the shoulder as generating the throwing power when in actuality the majority of power comes from the legs and trunk. By not using the proper step, rotation and follow-through the chance of injury increases with every throw. To assess throwing mechanics, depend on coaches and even video analysis to evaluate or correct the throwing motion.

Baseball and softball seasons are a great time of the year. The proper precautions and preventative training will help to ensure an enjoyable season. PLAY BALL!