Are you having pain during your run? It could be a product of your running style, or gait. There is new technology out that can provide real time analysis of your running and help you on the road to a pain-free run, as recently mentioned in the September issue of Windy City Sports Magazine.
Using digital video cameras, computers and sophisticated motion analysis software, motion systems are on the cutting edge of performance enhancement for applications ranging from golf swing training and baseball hitting to physical therapy and human gait analysis. Sports MotionÔ is a leader in video motion analysis and its software is used by a myriad of sports teams, such as the Chicago White Sox, as well as by many sports medicine and physical therapy clinics, including the Mayo Clinic and Ankle N Foot.
In terms of analyzing gait, Sports MotionÔ software offers the ability to: Spot slight movement variations in your running form that always produce problems during your run. Improve training techniques since now they can be made body-specific to a “hidden” running problem. Compare old and new video tape of your improvements and/or problems. Reduce and prevent injuries On an initial visit at a clinic, the doctor will gather a health history as well as your running history (e.g., what surfaces you run on, how many miles a week, whether or not you wear orthotics, etc). Then you are videotaped while running on the treadmill and at the same time, the data is transferred to the computer, where the doctor will analyze your gait to pinpoint any problems you may be experiencing, such as abnormal motion or other biomechanical pathologies.
Remember, if you are planning to have motion analysis performed, research what type of technology the office has. A patient at the Ankle N Foot Center related one physical therapist who took videotape, then took it home to analyze it. In this case, the therapist was not able to provide real-time advice and the patient was unable to see with their own eyes the analysis while it happened to make immediate adjustments and get same-day advice. Bottom line: Quick & Concise Diagnosis leads to Quick & Concise Treatment.