KEEP ON MOVING
Researchers investigate what helps and what hinders us from getting the exercise we need for optimal health throughout our lives.
Story by Connie Bryson/Illustrations by Amanda Woodward
Brenda Wesa added running to her already active routine when she turned 40. While various injuries over the years have threatened or even intermittently stopped her from running, she has always managed to recover with help from the biomechanics specialists at the University of Calgary's Running Injury Clinic. Recently, plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the connective tissue supporting the arch of the foot) and hamstring issues looked like they would put an end to her dream of running in the Boston Marathon. But with treatment, she was able to finish the race pain-free in April 2010. "Staying active is very important to me," she says. "I know first-hand how injuries can sidetrack you and completely stop you from being active. Going to someone who understands movement and can tell you specifically what to do is the best way to overcome injury and return to the activities you enjoy much sooner."
Research is the key to a better understanding of how we move, which then translates into better ways of preventing and treating injury, says Dr. Reed Ferber, who is director of the Running Injury Clinic and an assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Calgary. "I like to say that our clinic facilitates our research and our research improves our clinical practice."
Close to two-thirds of people who run—competitively and recreationally—are injured every year. Current treatments are effective for about 85% to 95% of runners. But the problem is that more than three-quarters of those people will have a reoccurrence of their injury. Many of them will go on to develop osteoarthritis. "The long-term consequences of running injuries mean they can't just be thought of as a nuisance anymore," adds Dr. Ferber.
With a Ph.D. in biomechanics, Dr. Ferber looks at running injury as a biomechanical problem—one that is caused by the way someone moves, which is affected by their anatomical structure and the strength and flexibility of their muscles. Dr. Ferber and his team use a specially developed three-dimensional gait analysis system and other assessment tools to discover the biomechanical root cause of a running injury, which can then be corrected with proper therapeutic exercises.
Almost all patients who have their gait analyzed are enrolled in clinical trials. One study confirmed the results of earlier research that implicated weak hip muscles in many injuries in runners. Another study found that six weeks of hip-muscle training could alleviate knee or below-the-knee pain in most runners.
The gait analysis technology has already been installed in a downtown Calgary sports clinic, and Dr. Ferber has plans to partner with 500 clinics over the next five years. "Traditional biomechanical studies, even clinical trials, involve dozens to hundreds of patients. With the system installed in a large number of clinics and the data coming back to us, we can enrol thousands of people in clinical trials. The opportunity to expand our research is huge."
The Running Injury Clinic
Dr. Ferber’s revolutionary approach to running injury assessment is based on three-dimensional biomechanical analysis. Using state-of-the-art technology and scientific assessment tools, the Running Injury Clinic analyzes a runner’s gait and then measures their strength and flexibility to discover the biomechanical root cause of a running injury. Clinic staff conduct a full biomechanical analysis and provide a report to a patient’s physiotherapist with a detailed assessment of the patient’s gait mechanics. This report, combined with the physiotherapist’s clinical expertise, allows for a much more accurate diagnosis of the injury.
Source: University of Calgary Faculty of Kinesiology