Do You Run On Hard Surfaces? Analogy Time…

During biomechanical assessments, I often hear people say – “I don’t think there is anything wrong with my trainers, they are a top make and are comfortable“. But sometimes when I closely inspect a trainer and do some more investigative work ie ask a patient where do you normally go running? The common answer is that people often run on tarmac and the shoe may lack support and/or cushioning.

Tarmac is an unnatural and hard surface and can lead to complications within the lower limb, specifically in people’s feet. When assessing people’s feet to establish the risk of injury when running, there are various factors that can either diminish or increase the risk of injury. For example, some runners tend to connect initially with their heels (just like when most people walk – heel->midfoot->forefoot). If a trainer doesn’t offer good support and cushioning, then this can result in injury to the heel area of the foot. Your heel may not start to hurt immediately, but over time it can develop an injury due to repetitive stress (micro trauma). This is just one of the factors that can lead to foot injuries when using either worn out or inappropriate trainers when running on hard surfaces.

Now, let us have a look at Van Damme In His Prime when he is told to kick the tree, there is no protection, no cushioning and of course the part of the lower limb that connects to the tree has no impact absorption protection (think car’s suspension). OUCH VAN DAMME!!! Popcorn time ;)

P.S. DO NOT RUN THROUGH PAIN! YOU INCREASE RISK OF INJURY IF YOU DO.

Did You Know Our BIOMECHANICAL ASSESSMENTS Include Footwear Assessment and Footscan® Dynamic Gait Analysis?