Posted 08.01.2023

Are you a runner suffering from a nagging injury? Well, you are not alone!

Approximately 56% of recreational runners and as high as 90% of runners training for a marathon will sustain a running-related injury annually.

At InstaCare, we see a plethora of running injuries including patellofemoral pain syndrome, IT band pain, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, shin splints and achilles tendonitis.

Posted 08.01.2023

Why are running injuries so prevalent?

Often, these injuries can be attributed to the amount of loading (impact) to the hip and knee joints during running. The amount of impact to the hip and knee joints is typically effected by your running technique. Heiderschiet, Bryan C. et al. (2011) investigated the effect of step rate (cadence) on joint mechanics while running. They found 10%-20% increase in cadence substantially reduces joint loading which can help prevent and treat these types of injuries.

How does increasing step rate (cadence) effect running mechanics?

By increasing step rate alone, subjects improved running mechanics as their heel was more underneath their center of mass at initial contact and they had less vertical excursion (less bounding). Simply put, the subjects had less impact when their foot was landing creating less stress to the joints of the hip and knees.

Try increasing your cadence on your next run and let us know how you feel!

At InstaCare, we specialize in running related injuries and utilize our digital running analysis tool on initial evaluation!

Heiderscheit, Bryan C et al. “Effects of step rate manipulation on joint mechanics during running.” Medicine and science in sports and exercise vol. 43,2 (2011): 296-302. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181ebedf3