Want To Run Pain-Free For Longer?

Want to finish that marathon without pain – or even just 5km’s?
Feel like your body may not be made for running?
Feel like something isn’t right when you exercise?
Wearing out shoes quickly or getting corns or callous?

If any of the above sound familiar, then let’s get you performing better while you run, whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned runner.

How Do They Just Keep Running?

Have you ever wondered how runners can just keep going and going? Marathons, ultra-marathons, Iron Mans… and they’re completed with a regular, constant pace and a massive grin at the finish line. Are these people just born to be runners? Does everything just align for them (biomechanically and otherwise), hence their decision to train and run massive distances?

Absolutely not. No one is ‘born’ a runner. Some will definitely have an easier start to their running journey because they’re fit or have good muscle strength or even because of their willing mindset. But believe us, anyone can become a runner (yes, you too!), and no one can do it without putting in the work – and an understanding of the physics behind the forces being put through your body when you do!

But I Get Pain When I Run And Others Don’t Seem To?

Ah, yes. We regularly hear this common concern and it’s a perfect introduction to Newton’s Third Law:

Every force has an equal and opposite reaction force.

Let us illustrate this law. If you were to hit your foot on the ground, your foot doesn’t bounce back. But the same force with which we hit the ground does come back through our feet. That’s the shock and sometimes pain that you feel when you hit the ground hard. During running, we repeatedly hit the ground over and over for kilometres. And the impact on our feet and legs during running is around three times our body weight. This is why we are prone to developing running injuries and why it’s very important to run efficiently to avoid developing pain and injury.

Poor foot biomechanics or technique + force = pain and injury

So now, let’s get down to the pain of it all. If every step or jump we take causes a large force back into our feet and legs from the ground, what happens to this force? Well, it’s really pretty simple. Either:

The force is absorbed and dissipated effectively through our bones, joints, muscles and ligaments because of our good foot biomechanics; or
The force is not absorbed effectively and causes damage, pain and injury.

This is exactly why we offer gait analysis, biomechanical assessments of the feet and legs and invest in athlete-grade analysis technology. The information we learn means we’re able to optimise your function so you can reach your full potential. And that’s what we’re all about!

So, How Do You Do It?

The technology we have available make it all too simple. We start by:

Conducting a comprehensive biomechanical assessment to evaluate the range of motion available through your lower limbs, your muscle strength, any abnormalities, and so on
Conduct a walking and running analysis using the Zebris, complete with 7000 pressure sensors in the bed of the treadmill to track and analyse your feet during every phase of gait
Evaluate how your footwear helps or hinders your movement

We then explain everything to you in the context of the signs and symptoms that you’re experiencing, or where movement efficiency is lacking. We then have a variety of ways to optimise your performance based on the results and your goals. This may include:

Orthotics to alter and optimise your lower limb function and correct poor biomechanics
Stretching, strengthening and dry needling – where tight or weak muscles are affecting your output and performance
Gait retraining to maximise efficiency and reduce stress through your lower limbs
Effective repair of existing injuries via shockwave and other modalities
Solestar orthotics where cycling is your preferred sport
Footwear advise ensuring that your shoes are helping and not hindering your progress

Get In Touch

The first step to staying injury-free and optimising your running performance is to give us a call on 07 4638 3022 or book online here. From here, our expert podiatrists in Toowoomba and Warwick will guide you through everything you need to be smashing your runs this summer without worrying about pain or injury!