A running gait analysis is a detailed breakdown of your running form. It lets us see how your body moves from head to toe and identify factors that may contribute to pain, increase your injury risk, or affect your running performance.
At Art of Physical Therapy in Raleigh, I can assess a runner visually or use 2D video capture for a more detailed analysis. The more technology we use, the more information we can observe and measure. However, not every runner needs the most detailed assessment available.
My goal is to collect information that helps us make meaningful decisions. A gait analysis is not about picking apart every movement or forcing everyone to run the same way. Every runner moves differently, and not every difference needs correcting.
What Happens During a Running Gait Analysis?
During a running gait analysis, I watch how your entire body moves while you run. This includes more than just how your feet hit the ground.
Depending on your needs, I may evaluate:
Running cadence
Stride length
Foot strike
Ankle and foot movement
Hip and knee control
Pelvic movement
Posture
Arm movement
Differences between the left and right sides
All these details help tell the complete story of how someone runs.
When we decide that changing a runner’s form may be helpful, cadence, stride length, and posture are often the most immediately useful areas to address. Smaller details can still be important, especially when they help explain an injury or a noticeable difference between the two sides of the body.
However, an unusual movement does not automatically mean something is wrong. Everyone’s body is built differently, and everyone develops a slightly different running style.
How Is Video Used During a Running Gait Analysis?
I often begin with a visual assessment. When we need a closer look, I use a tablet to record the runner from the front, back, and sides.
Video allows me to slow the runner’s movement down or examine it frame by frame. This reveals details that can be hard to see while someone is running at full speed.
Some of the most commonly missed details are subtle differences between the two sides of the body, particularly in the:
Pelvis
Knees
Ankles
Feet
For example, a runner may come in with ankle pain. In real time, their running form may appear relatively normal. Slow-motion video may show them landing on the outside edge of the affected foot and then rapidly collapsing into a pronated position. If that movement happens faster or more dramatically than it does on the unaffected side, it may provide an important clue about what is contributing to the runner’s symptoms.
Without slowing the video down, that type of movement can be difficult to identify accurately.
What Does a More Detailed 2D Analysis Measure?
When needed, we can take the analysis further by measuring the angles of individual joints at important points in the running gait cycle.
These measurements provide objective information we can use to compare the runner’s movement over time. This can be especially helpful after an injury because we can evaluate whether running mechanics change as strength, mobility, and confidence improve.
A detailed 2D analysis may also help someone who wants a preventive assessment, even if they are not currently injured.
At Art of Physical Therapy, runners can choose a detailed 2D running gait analysis that includes a written report and brief written recommendations.
Who Should Consider a Running Gait Analysis?
A running gait analysis can benefit runners of all experience levels, but I believe injured runners and beginners may benefit the most.
Beginner Runners
Some people appear to be natural runners. Others, including myself, may benefit from an assessment when they first start.
New runners may not know whether their form, training volume, strength, or mobility is placing unnecessary stress on their bodies. An early assessment can offer useful guidance before small problems become bigger ones.
A beginner does not necessarily need to completely change how they run. Sometimes a few simple adjustments to cadence, stride length, posture, or training volume can make running feel more comfortable and manageable.
Injured Runners
A gait analysis can help determine whether a runner’s mechanics may be contributing to their pain. It can also show us when running form is not the primary problem.
That distinction matters. If a runner’s gait looks good, we should not force unnecessary changes. We can focus on other possible factors, such as strength, mobility, training load, recovery, or the effects of a previous injury.
Experienced Runners
Experienced runners can also benefit from a running assessment, especially when combined with additional movement screening.
For these runners, I may evaluate:
Mobility restrictions
Strength differences between sides
Previous injuries
Current training volume
Recovery habits
Areas that may affect long-term running health
The goal isn't always to make an experienced runner faster. Sometimes the goal is to help that person continue running comfortably for many years.
What Can a Running Gait Analysis Reveal?
A running gait analysis can sometimes identify a mechanical problem that is difficult to find during regular strength or mobility testing. It can also confirm that a runner’s form is not causing the problem.
I have seen both situations in practice.
When Running Form Was Not the Problem
I worked with an experienced runner who continued to experience foot pain after an injury about a year earlier.
After completing the gait analysis, it was clear that the runner’s mechanics were excellent. Their running gait showed no meaningful problem that needed correction.
That finding was useful because it prevented us from wasting time trying to change good running mechanics. Instead, we could focus our effort on other limitations that were less specific to running.
Sometimes the value of a running gait analysis comes from identifying what doesn't need to change.
When Video Revealed Increased Foot Pronation
In another case, I worked with a runner who performed well during strength and mobility testing. Based on those results alone, there was no obvious explanation for the runner’s symptoms.
When I used 2D video to evaluate the runner’s gait, I could see increased foot pronation on the affected side. That difference was much easier to identify when I slowed the video and viewed it frame by frame.
For this particular runner, changing the shoe insert significantly improved the symptoms.
This does not mean every runner with foot or ankle pain needs a new insert. It means the insert was an appropriate solution based on that runner’s individual evaluation and response.
Is There a Perfect Way to Run?
One of the biggest misconceptions about running is that there is one perfect technique everyone should use.
Runners are often told they need a particular foot strike, a specific type of shoe, or a complete form overhaul. This advice becomes especially common when pain or an injury is involved.
A runner experiencing pain does not automatically need to change their foot strike. They also do not necessarily need to replace their shoes.
I become more concerned when someone moves too far in a particular direction, when there is a meaningful difference between the two sides, or when a movement appears connected to the runner’s symptoms.
Even then, changes should be based on the complete evaluation and how the runner responds during treatment.
There is no reason to correct every unusual movement simply because it looks different. A change should have a clear purpose.
Is a Running Gait Analysis Enough to Diagnose the Problem?
A running gait analysis provides valuable information, but it shouldn't always be used alone.
Running pain can be influenced by several factors, including:
Strength deficits
Limited mobility
Previous injuries
Training errors
Sudden increases in mileage
Running technique
Footwear
Recovery
For runners in physical therapy for an injury, I typically combine gait analysis with lower-body strength testing, mobility measurements, a symptom review, and a discussion of training load and programming.
This gives us a more complete understanding of the runner, rather than focusing only on what their form looks like.
What Happens After the Running Assessment?
What happens next depends on why the runner scheduled the assessment and what we find.
Recommendations may include:
Sport-specific strength training
Mobility exercises
Cadence adjustments
Changes to stride length
Posture adjustments
Training-load modifications
Shoe or insert considerations
Follow-up physical therapy visits
Treatment at Art of Physical Therapy is individualized. I do not want runners spending time and energy on exercises that do not support their goals.
When strength training is needed, my goal is to progress the runner toward a sport-specific program that is efficient and leaves more time and energy for the activity they love.
Running Gait Analysis at Art of Physical Therapy in Raleigh
At Art of Physical Therapy, we can go into as much or as little detail as each runner needs.
Someone looking for a preventive assessment may choose a detailed 2D running gait analysis with a written report and brief recommendations.
Someone dealing with an injury can expect a more comprehensive evaluation. This may include assessing their running gait, measuring lower-body strength and mobility, reviewing their symptoms, and discussing their current training program.
Our approach is centered on Mastering Movement, Maximizing Performance.
Whether the underlying issue involves weakness, limited mobility, training load, running technique, or something else, the goal is to make meaningful changes that help you stay healthy, improve performance, and keep running for a long time.
If pain is interfering with your running or you want a better understanding of how your body moves, schedule a running assessment with Art of Physical Therapy in Raleigh.
Ready to Better Understand Your Running Form?
Whether you are dealing with pain, returning from an injury, or looking to run more comfortably, a running gait analysis can help you identify what needs attention and what doesn't.
Schedule a running assessment with Art of Physical Therapy in Raleigh and get recommendations based on your movement, training, and goals.
