Gait analysis.

[SlowLoris]

Did anyone see this. Just food for thought .

independent.co.uk/news/heal...

[Jell6 Graduate10]

That's interesting, I had mine done by a sports physiotherapist, but maybe I wouldn't have needed the physio if I had had the right trainers to begin with!

It would be helpful if the data captured knee injuries caused by running without gait analysis too.

[Buddy34 Graduate10]

Interesting to read . I found this online and that looks like what the doctors are talking about 'a proper analysis '.

Not sure but I asked a question on here a while back about gait analysis and asked people if they had any aches etc that were resolved after getting new shoes and they all said yes.

youtu.be/gmBz3QC5JAg(Not working as expected?)

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

4 hours, it would cost a fortune for a runner to go through what was described in that article, I had a gait analysis and it was free, after that I bought the recommended shoes and socks to match, that was last April, since then I have not had any problems with my feet or knees when running.

[SlowLoris in reply to AlMorr]

They don’t like you to leave the shop without new socks.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to SlowLoris]

... or shoes🏃🏾

[Coddfish Graduate10]

I have always felt there’s a load of sales woo behind so called gait analysis as performed by a salesman armed with a treadmill and software. The shop I use looks at your feet, posture, how you move, picks shoes based on that, checks they fit properly, then lets you decide whether the shoes feel right on a short run outside. It doesn’t pretend it’s something it isn’t. I’d far rather have that.

[Grannyhugs Graduate10]

Yikes food for thought. I think when I replace my trainers I'll go for the same ones I have currently as they've been great. Thanks for sharing. Happy running

[SlowLoris in reply to Grannyhugs]

That’s my strategy as well. The problem is they tend to change them every year. Though if you’re lucky you can find the outgoing models with huge discounts. (Says a lot about their profit margins)

[Grannyhugs Graduate10 in reply to SlowLoris]

Luckily I've never been a follower of fashion, lasy years model does the same job 😉

[Achy4days Graduate10]

I think whilst the free shop gait analysis is all right for most of us amateur and leisure runners, for people who may need professional medical need this is an important warning that the free 'gait analysis' at a specialist shoe shop will not sort out their pains and discomfort, and will probably do more harm than good.

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate10]

I've had both good and bad experiences with in-store "gait analysis". I've also had very conflicting comments about my feet from different physiotherapists.

As part of a proper shoe fitting service your stance and gait should be taken into account but once you start talking about insoles or any ancillary items I'd definitely recommend getting specialist help, and from more than one source.

There's still a place for it but both those offering the advice, and those receiving the advice should be aware of its limitations.

I was toying with the idea of having full sports lab gait analysis last year and I wish I had. Yes, it's expensive, from £150 to £350 but if you're already investing £100+ into multiple pairs of shoes per year (with high mileage) its worth it in my view. When I get back to that stage again, or even on the way, I will.

[damienair Administrator]

I had problems when I started running first 3 years ago. Sore feet and pins and needles in my feet. I went to an independent running shop and got a gait analysis. They asked me to take off my socks and shoes and stand on a special pad which took an impression of my arch. I then had to run on a running track inside the shop in my bare feet. I was over pronating. That was then compared on a camera to different running shoes. And recordings were played back to me in slow motion. There was an obvious improvement. In the end I went for Brooks GTS and I’ve had a few pairs since. And no problems.

The gait analysis I had was very thorough and professional. I think there are some spoofers out there.

Damien

[SlowLoris in reply to damienair]

Before the gait analysis did you have a properly fitted pair of running shoes?

[damienair Administrator in reply to SlowLoris]

No, I had a very expensive pair of New Balance running shoes which I bought in a high street sports shop. They were not suitable for me. I was in pain at the end of a run and would get pins and needles for 30 minutes after a run.

I’ve thankfully been fine since I had a proper analysis done. I comfortably run 5K and 10K regularly.

Damien

[SlowLoris in reply to damienair]

I think that’s the key point. A retailer that knows their products and invests the time in seeing what’s most suitable.

I’m a little dubious about how much the treadmill video affects that.

It was interesting to watch my legs running in slow motion but all that really does is put you in the ‘neutral’ or the ‘support’ box. Some neutral shoes are very supportive and some ‘support’ shoes can be very lightweight. They need to fit properly.

[Coddfish Graduate10 in reply to damienair]

I think what worries me is the shop has stock to shift and a customer who can be sold said stock. “Oh you overpronate, you need these Brooks Adrenalines”. When a highly built up shoe like the Adrenaline might, for many people, cause as many problems as it fixes.

[damienair Administrator in reply to Coddfish]

They were a genuine specialist running shop. Well off the beaten track. You had to go out of your way to get there. They gave me a good 45 minutes and were very thorough. I had a choice of over 8 different makes of shoe which were recommended. There was no pressure. I chose the Brooks GTS as I felt most comfortable in them. I know GTS stands for Go To Shoe. I’ve been injury free since. I know there are high street running shops that do gait analysis where the staff are not trained and just shift shoes.

There are also many orthopaedic surgeons out there who will tell you that running is bad for you full stop.

Damien

[Coddfish Graduate10 in reply to damienair]

Sounds like you had a good experience, unfortunately not all shops are the same. I think the independents are often the best.

[mrrun Graduate10]

Well, that's life. Some guys are good, some bad, some exceptionally good. My gait analysis place was/is a sports place recommended by my osteopath. Got the shoes, custom cut insoles and no running related injuries for over three years. I hear that most places in south London aren't that good. In regards to that geezer who raised his concerns, a gait guy could also question his experience and expertise on the matter. All of it, from both ends, is cutting fine lines and margins hence I never trust ads, brands or labels, only personal recommendations. Then again, who the hell am l to question anyone?! 😀😉

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10]

I read this a long time ago greatist.com/move/running-s...

I did read of one store that did full gait analysis, not just the lower leg... but that would be even more complicated to assess, so I think that was just a gimmick... as your article backs up when it says the real gait analysis is done by several people with different skill sets.

I also note that just about all the fastest elites are currently running in the neutral, controversial, Nike next% series... which if stats are to be believed only 10% of them are neutral and so is strange. I noticed in the Breaking2 documentary that at least one of the 3 athletes wasn’t landing anywhere near neutral on the treadmill... but ran in the same shoes as the others. I figured that all elites would have been coached and seen the physio so many times that they all had any gait issues corrected, but this is not the case.

The other strange thing is that Nike revealed, I think in the born to run movie, that though they’d been making modern running shoes since the 70s they had never seen any scientific evidence that they reduce injuries. They claimed that the free RN does have such research, though I took that with a pinch of salt, given the subject of the documentary and them wanting to sell this shoe to viewers... I assume it wasn’t an outright lie, but rather that when they produce the research it may have been paid for my a company based in Beaverton.

The other thing in my mind is, and I may be weird, I know as fact that I don’t run the same in the treadmill as I do on the road.

There may be a large dose of placebo in the shoe choosing methods.