Hip, knee or ankle problems with running? (take the test)

Take the 30 second test below:

Step 1 - Stand on one foot and perform a single leg squat, go as deep as you can (or as far as your mobility will allow).

Step 2 - Watch yourself in a mirror and note what your movement looks like.

Step 3 - Now compare your movements to the video below.

Do your mechanics look more like the video on the RIGHT or the video on the LEFT?

The video above shows 2 different sets of mechanics. The left side shows 'good' mechanics, the right side is 'poor'.

You might need to watch the video several times but you will see in the right video the biomechanics are not as efficient as the video on the left.

In the video in the right you will see:

1. The knee drops in heavily (adducts and internally rotates).
2. The left hip drops and loses alignment (trendelenburg sign)
3. The general balance and proprioception is poor.

The single leg squat is a great way to assess for this type of poor mechanics. However you will generally find that if an individual presents with these mechanics in the test it will carry over into their walking or running pattern (or gait).

These type of poor mechanics (video on the right) are often linked to knee, shin, ankle and foot pain of various type. The reason for this is that the mechanics in this type of movement are poorly aligned and inefficient. The knock on from this is that tissues - muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and cartilage - are put under increased stress and are subjected to increased 'shear' forces.

The good news is that in most cases these poor mechanics can be corrected and are often linked to imbalanced or weak muscles (core / gluteals etc). However with simple rehabilitation exercises these problems can largely be corrected.

Now before I finish I have to say that what is written above is a very simplified version of what can occur,  but the purpose of this post was to present the basics of what poor running mechanics can look like.

If you need a more in-depth analysis it's best to book an appointment with one of us.