Poor running mechanics can lead to a domino effect of pain and injury which can sideline a runner. Here in the Inland Northwest we have many running clinics, groups, and scheduled runs/races in the near future and Apex Physical Therapy wants you to be in your tip-top running shape and decrease your risk of injury this running season.

Physical Therapists can advise runners on proper form, strategies for preventing injuries, proper shoe selection, as well as proper training methods to help decrease risk of injuries and have a successful running season.

All Apex Physical Therapists treat and manage conditions often associated with running such as, but not limited to:

• Achilles tendon injuries
• Groin strain
• Hamstring strain
• Iliotibial Band Syndrome
• Knee pain
• Patellofemoral Pain
• Plantar Fasciitis
• “Sleeping” glutes
• Female athlete triad
• Stress Induced Urinary Incontinence (We have specialists for this condition)

Apex PT in Cheney specifically has Physical Therapists trained in a program called Dartfish. Dartfish is a computer program that allows us to take digital video and slow it down to analyze small aspects of an individual’s unique run pattern. It can identify areas of weakness, imbalance, or dysfunction that can either be the cause of pain or can be used to identify issues BEFORE pain/injury occurs.

A running gait analysis is a scientifically based, individualized evaluation of the running form. It includes an evaluation of the whole body to identify areas of poor movement patterns and their underlying causes. These areas can lead to an inefficient running form, and if left uncorrected/untreated can often lead to a high risk of injury.

A licensed Physical Therapist is uniquely qualified to perform a gait analysis due to their extensive education in biomechanics as well as their knowledge in identifying, correcting, and preventing a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries.

The human eye simply cannot catch everything that happens in the few milliseconds of time the foot is in contact with the ground during the running cycle, therefore we use video analysis downloaded onto a computer using the same Dartfish software used by many Olympic training programs. This allows us to view the running form in super slow motion or even frame by frame speed, thus catching problems that otherwise would easily be missed.

A Dartfish Gait and Running Analysis can be scheduled at our Cheney office location. The Analysis is generally a self-payed visit however; it may also be used in conjunction with physical therapy as the patient returns to running after injury or surgery.

Give Apex a call today to get you to your full running potential as soon as possible!