Last night, our team Orthotist Douglas Young put on a great in-service discussing his analysis of function, gait, and running as well as the different approaches and tools he uses in management. Firstly, we discussed the term “overpronation,” and how it is an inappropriate term used by some to explain lower extremity injury. Pronation is a normal movement at the foot, not a diagnosis, and variance in foot movement and posture from person to person is normal. An editorial with a more in depth explanation on the topic can be found here. Doug then went on to discuss how he looks at both the static and dynamic positions of the lower limb, using video analysis to enhance his assessment. Using video, he can slow down, compare, and replay tasks such as running or squatting to carefully assess each component of the body throughout the movement (e.g. hip, knee, shoulder alignment…) Lastly, he discussed some key points from the recent course on running analysis and mechanics he attended, citing the importance of screening hip extension range of motion in runners, as well as the role that cadence and stride length might play in risk of injury.
If your sport performance or activities of daily living are hindered by aches and pain and you think you might benefit from an assessment with our team Orthotist, or if you have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@agiletherapy.com.