None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Running is one of the most common forms of movement activities but, unfortunately, dangers of injuries or strains are high on both professional and amateur level. When an injury takes place it triggers sequence of changes in movement apparatus causing consequential dysfunctions. Risk factors of foot injuries constitute a whole separate group especially in runners. Functional training is understood as a specific set of exercises aimed to establish essential movement patterns vital for normal development of motor abilities in athletes. It ensures separate elements of biokinematic chain are combined into an optimal movement pattern. Functional training is employed to improve physical fitness and results in sports, and to decrease injury risks. Main assumption of “joint-by-joint” therapy conception is a holistic approach to an athlete or a patient. Insufficient stability in a certain body area (e.g. lumbar spine) could be caused by insufficient mobility in the area nearby (e.g. limited hip-joint extension). According to “joint-by-joint” conception therapy should begin first with exercises improving mobility, from the ankle up, segment by segment, then continue with improving stability. Exercises which activate inner foot muscles on the plantar side aim to restore strength and normal muscle tension as well as strengthen medial longitudinal arch, what, in its turn, increase stability in the ankle. Those exercises are employed both in sports and rehabilitation. They are advised in cases of ankle injuries, pes planus, claw and hammer toes as well as an element of sensomotor training. But have not found any reports on employment of those exercises in runners. Functional examination, by means of detection of all limitations and asymmetries, allows to employ individually customized trainings, which could stimulate restoration of correct movement patterns and decrease injury risks in athletes and patients. Aims The aim of the presented research is to define influence of exercising short plantar foot muscles on foot placement and functional movement patterns in runners. Above that we would like to assess efficiency of functional training based on “joint-by-joint” therapy conception, customized to compensate individual limitations and dysfunctions in runners.
Interventions
Functional training employed by us consists of two stages.
The first one lasts 6 weeks and is devoted to activation of inner foot muscles on the plantar side. The exercises will be performed barefoot with the proper loading of three support points of the feet (the first and the fifth metatarsal heads and the heel). Three kinde of exercise will be applied “Vele’s Forward Lean” (maximal forward lean from a standing position), “Reverse Tandem Gait” (walking backwards) and “Short Foot Exercise” (
Functional training employed by us consists of two stages. The first one lasts 6 weeks and is devoted to activation of inner foot muscles on the plantar side. The exercises will be performed barefoot with the proper loading of three support points of the feet (the first and the fifth metatarsal heads and the heel). Three kinde of exercise will be applied “Vele’s Forward Lean” (maximal forward lean from a standing position), “Reverse Tandem Gait” (walking backwards) and “Short Foot Exercise” (shortening the foot in the anterior-posterior direction and attempting to bring the head of the metatarsals towards the heel without toe flexion). The second stage lasts also 6 weeks and is devoted to functional training, which comprises exercises individually customized for each runner aiming to correct their particular dysfunctions. This functional training aims to improve mobility and stability. The exercise wil be chosen from Functional Movement Screen Corrective Exercise Manual. Each subject will be examined three times: before the first stage, after the first stage and after the second stage. Trainings will be done every day and each session will last about one hour. Six of the seven sessions per week will be done under no supervision at home. Each subject will be asked to fill the training diary after training session. One training a week will be done under the therapist control.
Sponsors
prof Anna Mika
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
20 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
long distance runners who run regularly 3-7 times a week with a total distance of 30-100 km per week
Exclusion criteria
previous history of acute injury in the six months prior to the enrollment on the study
Outcome results
None listed