Tim Miller, MD
Due to the repetitive nature of endurance sport activities, a slight misalignment can create inefficiency or pain. When evaluated promptly, many injuries can be treated early, preventing time away from competition or activity. Our expert analysis programs are helping athletes correct their technique, improve biomechanics and prevent injuries.
How our specialists can help you
Whether you’re a runner, cyclist or swimmer (uninjured or injured), we’ll watch the way you move and assess how these movements impact your joints. Select your sport below to view a few examples of what we review and how improper or unbalanced movement can limit your ultimate race potential, from single events to duathlons and triathlons. Be sure to visit our Sports Nutritionists as well to learn more about what you put into your body and how it can help you fight muscle damage, improve performance and even avoid some chronic injuries.
When does pain from endurance training need rest or medical management?
Runners
All runners should consider a running gait analysis. Runners who are experiencing any type of pain can benefit from the advice and anyone looking to make improvements and prevent future injuries will find it valuable, too.
If you’re a runner that would like to get back to activity after injury, achieve a new PR or learn new techniques for improving your running, a visit to Ohio State Sports Medicine Runner’s Performance Lab is the next step for you. The Runner’s Performance Lab evaluation includes a doctor’s visit, nutrition consultation, body composition testing, VO2 max testing and a video running gait analysis – all in a single visit to the Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute. We analyze this data and provide personalized recommendations regarding running form modifications, types of footwear, exercises to prevent injury and training along with your analysis results. To schedule your Runner’s Performance Lab visit and get on the path to your ultimate race potential, contact Ohio State Sports Medicine at 614-293-2385 or submit the Analysis Request form at the top of the page.
The cost for those looking to prevent injury or improve their running performance is $400.
The evaluation includes a medical and training history, assessment of range of motion and strength and video analysis of your running form. We analyze this data and provide recommendations regarding running form modifications, types of footwear, exercises to prevent injury and training.
The cost for those looking to prevent injury or improve performance is $230. Current patients or injured individuals who have a physician referral can bill the gait analysis through insurance. If you are unsure of your plan’s coverage, please contact us and our staff will verify coverage with your provider.
Whether you’re uninjured or injured, we’ll watch the way you move, particularly how these movements impact your joints. Here are a few examples of what we assess and how improper or unbalanced movement can limit your ultimate race potential.
Off the treadmill
Strength, flexibility and functional analysis
Identifies areas of muscle and soft tissue tightness, joint hypomobility or hypermobility, movement pattern dysfunctions and specific muscle strength deficit to help us hone in on body segments during run analysis.
On the treadmill
Stride length: Inappropriate stride is not only inefficient, but puts higher forces through your joints and unnecessary loads on muscles, tendons and fascia.
Foot strike: The dispersion of shock across your foot has an impact all the way up your body. All foot strike patterns have their own advantages and disadvantages. We can help suggest the best strike pattern that fits you.
Core stability: Excessive hip adduction and femoral internal rotation may contribute to knee, lower leg, ankle and foot injury and pain.
Foot & ankle mechanics: If your foot doesn't optimally supinate and pronate, it cannot distribute the force of impact on the ground as you run. As a result, certain muscles may overcompensate, leading to pain and injury.
Arms: Too much movement or asymmetrical arm swing may lead to lower body misalignment and/or low back pain.
These injury prevention tips for runners offer simple ways to help prevent injuries, including always performing a dynamic warm-up, stretching after activity, cross-training and including rest days.
Returning to running after any time off, especially due to injury, can be challenging. By returning gradually, with a progressive addition of plyometric activity prior to running, you can reduce your risk of re-injury and get back to the sport you love as soon as possible.
While this guideline provides a general framework on how to return to running, you should always consult with your physician or physical therapist for your specific situation.
- Initially, you should be able to walk with no pain and have minimal to no swelling.
- Next, you can progress to a series of single and double leg jumps and multi-directional hops. Once you achieve 200-250 foot contacts with proper form and no presence of symptoms, you can begin running.
- Running should include at least one rest day each week, a gradual increase of daily and weekly mileage (no more than 10 percent) and no return of pain or symptoms.
Performing a dynamic warmup prior to activity will help improve movement patterns and decrease inefficiencies or gait abnormalities.
A gait analysis with Ohio State Sports Medicine can help get you to your ultimate race potential.
The Runner’s Performance Lab evaluation includes a doctor’s visit, nutrition consultation, body composition testing, VO2 max testing and a video running gait analysis
Cyclists
Having pain when you cycle?
Want to improve your cycling performance?
Dissatisfied with the comfort of your bike?
Would you like to increase your safety while riding?
Looking to prevent injuries in the future?
Want to improve your cycling performance?
Dissatisfied with the comfort of your bike?
Would you like to increase your safety while riding?
Looking to prevent injuries in the future?
We recommend you have a bike fit analysis.
Our program includes a medical history and functional screening, dynamic bike fit performed on a trainer, biomechanical measurements of fit and appropriate adjustments and recommendations on ways to treat or prevent injuries.
The cost for those looking to prevent injury or improve performance is $230. Current patients or injured individuals who have a physician referral can bill the bike fit analysis through insurance. If you are unsure of your plan’s coverage, please contact us and our staff will verify coverage with your provider.
Whether you’re uninjured or injured, we’ll watch the way you move, particularly how these movements impact your joints. Here are a few examples of what we assess and how improper or unbalanced movement can limit your ultimate race potential.
Flexibility/functional analysis: Identifies segmental movement dysfunction and helps relate areas of impairment with areas of pain (for example, hip flexor muscle tightness can cause back pain with cycling).
Saddle height: A saddle too low increases pressure on knees, increasing risk for patellar tendinitis or generalized knee pain. A saddle too high increases the risk of saddle sores and Achilles tendinitis from pointing your ankles/toes too long.
Forward reach distance: Improper reach can increase shoulder pain or cause hip joint pain from your hands being too close or too far away from your hips.
Cadence: Aim for between 90 and 110 revolutions per minute for efficiency and to decrease stress on joints and muscles.
Core stability: Helps support the trunk with prolonged upper extremity weight bearing and can decrease risk of low back pain and saddle sores (by decreasing hip rocking while seated).
Foot position: Proper cleat position can help decrease the risk of Achilles tendinitis, knee pain and IT Band pain, and improve efficiency.
Shoulder position: Proper shoulder position helps to decrease neck pain caused by upper trapezius muscle tightness and reduce numbness in the arms and hands.
These injury prevention tips for cyclists offer simple ways to help prevent injuries, including following a few cycling mechanics tips, stretching and using a foam roller after activity, making sure your bike and equipment are in order and adhering to some basic training tips.
A bike fitting with Ohio State Sports Medicine can put you on a safe and pain-free path for race day.
Swimmers
Swimmers should consider a video swim stroke analysis for multiple reasons. If you have pain with swimming, slow motion video feedback and swim stroke advice can correct common errors that lead to pain. In addition, performance and confidence can improve with proper timing and form that can be learned with corrective exercises and drills.
Our swim stroke evaluation includes a medical and training history, assessment of functional range of motion and strength and a video analysis of swimming form with feedback from your physical therapist. Recommendations based on your analysis will be provided, including ways to treat or prevent injuries in and out of the water.
Insurance
With the insurance option you will need to have a current injury and a physician referral. The process will consist of two visits: the first visit will be at the pool and will consist of video of your swim analysis, as well as going over swimming drills for areas of improvement; the second visit will be a follow up visit at the PT clinic in order to go over your video and review exercises and swimming drills to improve areas of deficits/abnormalities, with the videos and exercises and drills emailed to you.
If you are unsure of your plan’s coverage or what option you should choose, please contact us and our staff will verify coverage with your provider.
No Insurance or Out of Pocket
No physician referral is needed and the focus is on injury prevention and/or performance if insurance is not used to cover costs of analysis.
$230: During the visit, we will look at dryland mobility and movement followed by video of your swimming stroke and review of the video, including instruction on swimming drills to improve swim stroke.
Whether you’re uninjured or injured, we’ll watch the way you move, particularly how these movements impact your joints. Here are a few examples of what we assess and how improper or unbalanced movement can limit your ultimate race potential.
Hand placement: Correct entry into the water prevents excessive internal rotation of the shoulder that can increase shoulder pain, and pinching of the rotator cuff muscles.
Body roll: Using larger muscles in the core to power the stroke provides better arm recovery and injury prevention, and increases efficiency with swimming.
Catch and pull through: By working to develop a high elbow catch technique, plus good swimming posture, excessive shoulder load can be avoided.
Position relative to water surface: Proper swim posture can eliminate low back pain and increase the functional use of the core.
Kick technique: Anterior knee pain can be common with repetitive flutter kick, breaststroke kick and flip turns. We can analyze your stroke to ensure proper alignment.
These injury prevention tips for swimmers offer simple ways to help prevent injuries, including performing a dynamic warm-up, stretching, avoiding certain stretches and knowing when to consult an expert.
A swim stroke analysis with Ohio State Sports Medicine can help you break through the density of the water.
An overview of our Endurance Medicine team and what we do for athletes.
Our Experts Who Work With Endurance Athletes
Bryant Walrod, MD
James Borchers, MD
Michelle Calvin, PT, OCS
Chelseana Lahman, PT, DPT, SCS
Melissa Gallatin, PT, AT, OCS
Kelly Henschen, PT, AT, SCS
Sarah Depp, PT, DPT, OCS
Rick Neitzelt, PT, DPT, AT
Josh Pintar, PT, DPT, SCS
Katherine Rethman, PT, DPT, SCS
Elizabeth Short, PT, OCS
Katherine L. Weber, PT, DPT, SCS, ATC
Kathy Wayman, PT, DPT, SCS
David Wright, PT, PhD