A running gait analysis is a detailed look at how your whole body moves while you run.

We assess the usual things, such as cadence, stride, and foot strike, but we do not stop at the legs. We also look at how your trunk moves, how your arms swing, and how your hips and pelvis control each step.

This helps us understand how you load each leg and whether one side may be taking on more work than the other. Sometimes the area that hurts is not the part contributing to the problem. The way your upper body moves, for example, may be increasing the load through one leg.

Yes. A running assessment can help us identify movement patterns that may be contributing to pain or causing an injury to keep coming back.

Running involves repeating the same motion thousands of times. A small difference between sides may not matter over a few steps, but it can become significant over a longer run or several weeks of training.

We look at how you load your legs during different parts of running and connect those findings with your symptoms, training history, strength, and movement patterns. This gives us a better understanding of what may be driving the problem and what needs to change.

We start by talking about your running history, current symptoms, training routine, previous injuries, and goals.

Your physiotherapist will then take you through different movements related to running. We want to see how you control each leg, transfer your weight, absorb load, and move through the different components of a running stride.

We often assess you running overground because it allows us to see how your whole body moves naturally through space. A treadmill can also be used when it is the better option for you.

During the assessment, we may try different cues and techniques to see how they change the way you run. You will leave with practical recommendations, which may include running drills, corrective exercises, training changes, footwear considerations, or physiotherapy treatment.

A running assessment is a great way to get ahead of potential problems, even if you are currently running without pain.

Physiotherapists are trained to understand biomechanics, which means we look at more than individual muscles or joints. We look at how the whole body moves and how different areas work together during running.

Certain movement patterns can repeatedly place more stress on one part of the body. This does not mean that every difference in your running form will cause an injury, but it can show us where your body may need more strength, control, or support as your training increases.

By screening your movement before pain develops, we can identify areas that may be taking on too much load and address them early. This can be especially helpful if you are increasing your mileage, preparing for a race, returning after time away, or starting a new training program.

Look for an assessment that goes beyond watching your feet or recommending a pair of shoes. A thorough running assessment should consider your whole body, your injury history, your training, and how you load each leg.

It should also give you a clear plan. Knowing what your body is doing is useful, but you also need to know how to improve it.

At Cadence Physiotherapy & Rehab in Vancouver, your running assessment is completed by a physiotherapist who loves to run and understands the demands of running. Each assessment is one to one and 60 minutes long. We take the time to understand your movement, try practical running cues, and give you specific drills, exercises, and treatment recommendations based on what we find.