Gait Training - Anyone else tried this?

[Becky1]

I heard about a doc in Bountiful who does a full gait training analysis.  Dr. Betteringer.  You are videoed running barefoot and also in your normal training shoes.  There are stickers all down the muscles on the back of your legs, ankles, hips, and back.  Videos are done from both sides, front, and back.  Very complete!  I did it and then met with the doctor.  I did this because of chronic groin, hip injuries. What he found was I run sort of like on a tightrope.  Very straight line.  Also abductors are very weak.  I am a toe runner, with some midfoot strike which is okay.  Doc recommended a PT in SLC who does gait training.  I have been doing it for over a week now and wonder ...

For PT, he focuses on strengthening the weak muscles by providing great exercises.  Then I run on a treadmill for 30 mins to a metrnome at 180 footstrikes per minute.  He videos while I do this.  I do this 3/x per week.  During the program, I am not allowed to run outside of PT as they are trying to get the form assimilated by me.  Suprisingly, running after 30 mins of PT exercises is VERY hard.  Even at a steady training pace.

Has anyone done this and if so, what are your thoughts?  Should a gait be altered?  So far, its just the footstrikes per minute.  What about only running this little.  The program is 8 visits and I am half way thru.  I worry about loosing fitness!  I have been cross training, but not enough to equal running mileage.  


Advice?

[Jeffrey McClellan]

From personal experience and research studies I have read, it is not always bad to alter gait, although care should be taken when doing so in order to prevent further injury.  If you do have muscle groups that are weak and the lack of strength is leading to injuries, I imagine that the exercises the PT gives you should help with your problem.

However, that being said, manipulating cadence seems pointless.  Published research has shown that manipulating cadence when running at a set speed (thus altering stride length) actually causes oxygen expenditure to rise (running economy gets worse), with researchers suggesting that the optimal cadence, or stride frequency, will automatically be chosen by the individual with no need for manipulation.

An individual using stride frequency to set effort in a workout or race would either speed up or slow down in relation to the frequency at which he/she is running.  However, when speed is constant as with the treadmill, artificially manipulating stride frequency will not change speed, leading to a reduction in running economy.

Personally, I do not think that true alterations to gait can be made in such a short period of time, so whatever you do with the PT will probably do little to help or hurt your gait.  A potentially better approach would be to continue working on the exercises that the PT gives you (daily if at all possible) in addition to your normal running routine once you are done with the PT.  If you keep close track of your body, and assess yourself regularly you may be able to identify what the problem(s) is (are) without needing to make further trips to the PT office.

[Becky1]

Interesting and thank you for your response.  I was sort of thinking the same.  I actually do naturally have a fairly quick turnover when running flat.  Probably about 170.  I am also wondering how maintainable this is.  I see definite benefits already from the exercises.  The PT has me doing lots of work for the core, abductors, and glutes along with stretches.  He also mixes it up each time to make it harder.

I started this because I was just curious about the video analysis and it lead to this.  I am not injured but the goal is to stay healthy, which has been hard the past few years.