A large amount of speculation exists regarding the mechanisms of running injuries. Even though there is conflictual evidence in regard to the risk factors, some studies have provided good insights about what can cause runners to get injured.
The four important factors are as follow: biomechanical gait patterns, muscular strength, anatomical alignment, and tissue flexibility.
Given the complexity of running injuries, it is important to develop a systematic approach to the gait assessment.
It is also easy to understand how our daily life activity – or, for many of us with deskbound jobs, inactivity – can contribute to the puzzle. Sit too much and your hip muscles get shutdown. Wear tight shoes, with too much cushioning, and your feet become rigid and stiff.
In our next post, we will start with our first contact with the environment: the foot. Assessing foot mechanics is an important part of figuring out why you may have knee, hip, or even lower back pain.
