Running Physio
Treating runners is a passion of ours. Since opening our doors we’ve helped hundreds of Adelaide runners run further, for longer and without injury or pain holding them back. We’re also highly involved with the running community of Adelaide, and have passionate runners among our team.
For the competitive runner who is fit and experienced or the beginner who wants to improve their performance whilst minimising the risk of injury. Our thorough running physiotherapy assessment will get to the root cause of why you’re injured or running with pain. Using video analysis, tailored running programming, strength work, and specific muscle treatment, we’ll help you run better, faster, and for longer.
How can Physio help me as a runner?
- We can help you run pain free: Through a thorough assessment to gain the information we need around training volume, changes or spikes in speed or incline we’ll be sure to get to the root cause of why you’re injured or running with pain in the first place. This will allow us to ascertain what might need to be modified or altered in the short term, whilst also allowing us to know what we need to get you back to!
FUN FACT: One study completed on this topic put runners on a resistance-training program for 10 weeks three times per week. As we’d expect, results showed that leg strength improved by 30 percent, but more importantly, running time improved by 13 percent!
2. We can help you get strong to run. This helps to prevent injuries by strengthening muscles, bones and tissues and has also been shown to help running performance including time to fatigue.
3. We can help you train through injury if you’re in the midst of event training and can’t modify your schedule. We understand it’s not everyone’s goal to run pain-free. Some people simply want to make it to the start line, and then get to the finish line! We’ll make sure you’re listened to in your first visit so we can help you reach your goal.
4. We can give you the knowledge, insight and education required to become the best runner you can be. Through video analysis, programming and exercise analysis, we’ll help you run better, faster, longer and with reduced injury risk.
What you can expect in your Running Physio Consultation
Been told to just stop running before? We’ll take into account what YOU want in our plan to get the results you desire. If this means no amendment to your running program or the want to get pain-free as quickly as possible, we have the answer.
Thorough History
A running physio consultation is an hour-long session with one of our running physios, Ally or Heyson. Firstly, we’ll seek to understand you better as a runner, which includes taking a deep dive into your:
- Training history and experience
- Current training program
- Medical and injury history
- Footwear and orthotics
- Current and future running goals
A key component of this is discussing your running load. What are you putting your body through currently? – how much, how far, how quick, what terrain, how often. These are all important factors in PROPERLY treating running-related conditions.
Where possible, we’ll aim to keep you running as you like. Sometimes for best results, however, there needs to be a small period where your running loads are modified.
Musculoskeletal Assessment
Following this, we will conduct a running specific musculoskeletal assessment, which involves an assessment of the trunk and pelvis as well as lower limb strength, power and mobility. the aim of this is to highlight any areas of deficiency that currently might predispose you to injury or affect your performance.
This will likely include the implementation/progression of a strength program. Strength training helps runners run pain-free and can reduce overuse injuries by 50%.
Treadmill Video Analysis
If appropriate, we’ll view and record from different angles you running at your normal pace, as well as jogging and sprinting if relevant, on the treadmill in order to assess your:
- Biomechanics
- Cadence
- Technique
The aim of all this is to determine if any of these are contributing to your current injury, predisposing you to recurrence in the future or affecting your performance. We’ll give you feedback on the areas that might need tweaking in your personalised plan.
Although lower on the priority list for runners, in conditions of the hip, knee and foot in particular sometimes there’s a few easy tweaks we can make to your technique that allow you to continue to run with less pain.
Detailed Report & Personalised Plan
A detailed report of your analysis testing will be presented to you, as well as the key areas that need to be addressed, all given to you at the end of your consultation.
Follow-up Appointments
Follow-up appointments will vary depending on the needs and circumstances of the individual. For those in pain, a few visits in quick succession is helpful in returning to pre-injury levels as quickly as possible. For those attending for purely performance enhancement purposes, tracking improvements and progressing your program can be done in longer intervals.
Whether it’s a run around the oval, the City to Bay, a full marathon or an Ultra Event, we are your Adelaide Physiotherapy running team.
Get in contact to kickstart your running rehabilitation or improve performance today. Book online with Ally or Heyson here or call the clinic on 8490 0777.
Check out some of our favourite strength exercises for runners: