Running Technique Video with Complications:

Here we have a good running video with a nice teaching component to it.

We found this on the web on some random site.  Nice to see others are helping to spread our good word.  Here is what the website said, and below that are our comments.

FROM:http://paraganek.blogspot.com/2011/08/stride-analysis-video.htmlNathanAugust 30, 2011 11:18 AM

Daniel,
You should send your video to The Gait Guys:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Gait-Guys/169366033103080

Actually, they did a 3 part video on crossover gait recently. I looks like you’ve got a bit of crossover going on (hips are swinging side to side). Most people do some crossover. Another thing The Gait Guys always say is that what you can see in the video is usually not the problem (the right foot turning out), it is usually the compensation you are seeing…the problem is somewhere else.

@Nathan:
Thank you Nate. I will see what The Gait Guys say.

*What The Gait Guys have to say:

The most obvious thing we see is that the right foot is spun out (this is more evident on the video clips running away from the camera). This is referred to as the “foot progression angle” and here it is increased.  Depending on the source you reference, the upper limit of normal can be 25degrees. But, it is more important to do a case by case comparison.  Without the advantages of a hands on exam this case seems to indicate that the right foot progression is increased beyond the left, assuming the left is normal.  (yes, it is possible that the right is this chaps normal and that the left foot progression angle is decreased. But the usual presentation is that of increased, usually.)

What we do like is the great form his is displaying. Great natural barefoot technique. Pure barefoot technique does not allow heel strike to occur. Do not believe us? Go try it yourself, just don’t email or call us afterwards and complain !  His strike is midfoot, cadence is high, and body posture is clean and upright.  There is a minor cross over gait here. The readers were right.  Good eyes, good call !

The increased right foot progression angle will often accelerate pronation and increase its degree. This can also increase and accelerate the rate of internal spin of the tibia and limb, all the way into the hip and pelvis.  This can challenge the eccentric capabilities of the gluteals and other external hip rotator muscles and in time this can represent itself and mechanical hip joint pain or low back/Sacroiliac joint symptoms.  The increased pronation amount and rate can challenge other structures at the foot, namely the posterior tibial tendon, abductor hallucis muscle and the first ray stabilizers such as long and short hallux muscles (EHL, EHB, FHL, FHB) and thus loss of longitudinal arch capabilities and stabilizers. 

We also see, if you look closely particularly on the running away from camera views, that the left arm seems to cross the body more than the right. We always look for this in the opposite upper limb to try and help confirm or suggest which of the lower limbs is the problem.  Since the left upper arm is crossing the body, it is neurologically matched up with the right limb during swing and stance.  It can act like a ballast. This fella would most likely have some pelvic asymmetry because of this cross body deficit. 

PS: the issue can be reversed.  We have had plenty of frozen shoulder clients present with biomechanical deficits in the opposite lower limb so beware of the total body complexities and compensations.  We have also have had runners who always carry a water bottle in the same hand showing changes in the opposite lower limb. Our treatment success with one runner did not occur until we convinced this ultra trail runner to go with a camel back water supply.

Nice little case. Wish we had more information on the runner and what is bothering him.

Maybe in time we will hear from him and update him.

To get the most out of this case you should watch the 3 part cross over gait series on our youtube channel. Just type in thegaitguys and it will be right there.  You should also goto the search box in our tumblr blog and type in “arm swing” and read some of our writings on this topic.  We think it is fascinating stuff.

Shawn and Ivo……….. world wide web gait geeks……. and victims of radical hackers everywhere…… ok, just in Algeria.