Running is one of the most accessible forms of exercise. But behind every stride lies a complex interaction of movement, muscle control, and force absorption that, if not optimised, can lead to performance plateaus or injury.

Whether you’re a weekend jogger, competitive athlete, or someone looking to return from injury, a Running Assessment offers powerful insights to keep you running stronger, safer, and smarter.

At GV Sportscare Shepparton, we’re proud to offer comprehensive running assessments that go beyond just watching you run. Here’s what it’s all about and why it’s worth considering, no matter where you are in your running journey.

Why Is Running Gait Analysis Important?

Running is incredibly healthy, but it’s also a common source of musculoskeletal injuries. In fact, injury prevalence in runners ranges from 18–92% depending on the population and context. Most injuries stem not from the act of running itself, but from how your body handles the repetitive loads placed on joints, tendons, and muscles (Barton et al., 2016).

Research led by Prof. Christian Barton At Latrobe University  suggests that injury is rarely the result of one factor. Rather, it’s the outcome of a mix of load-related, biomechanical, and sometimes psychological contributors (Barton, 2017).

“Running gait” refers to the sequence of movements your body makes when you run, specifically the cycle of your legs during each stride you take while you run.

A gait assessment helps identify:

• Movement patterns that may overload certain tissues
• Areas of weakness or poor control (e.g. at the hip, knee, or ankle)
• Potential inefficiencies affecting your performance

We don’t assess your running just for the sake of it – we assess to better target our interventions so that we can be confident that they add real value to your training or rehab.

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How Do We Perform a Running Gait Assessment?

Depending on the runner and their goals, we may assess:

• Treadmill running: Ideal for high-speed video analysis, cueing, and real-time retraining.
• Overground running: Useful when symptoms arise only overground or at specific paces or distances.
• Economy vs Performance vs Pain Triggers

We’ll consider:

• Running economy for distance runners (how your muscles utilise oxygen while you run)
• Performance mechanics for speed-focused athletes
• Pain-based assessments, analysing form during the pace or distance that tends to aggravate your symptoms

This means some runners may be assessed at a comfortable jog, while others may run at race pace, uphill, or with a particular shoe or orthotic – whatever best recreates your natural movement and symptoms.

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What Should You Expect?

Verbal and Visual Cues

A subtle change in technique can have a big impact. Research suggests gait retraining should follow motor learning principles, including faded verbal feedback, mirrors or video, and continued progression in practice.

Strength & Conditioning Recommendations

If biomechanical faults are identified, we often prescribe targeted strength and conditioning. These are not generic gym routines – they’re tailored to your specific needs, and might include:

• Hip strength and power drills for runners with patellofemoral pain or dynamic knee valgus (Nunes et al., 2018)
• Gluteal and calf strength for Achilles or tibial stress-related pain (Beattie et al., 2014)
• Foot and ankle mobility/stability work for overpronation or plantar fasciitis (Seitz et al., 2014)

Strength training alone has been shown to improve:

• Running economy
• Time-trial performance
• Anaerobic power (vMART) in endurance athletes (Beattie et al., 2014)
  = strength training makes you run faster and better

We follow a process supported by strong evidence and led by expert clinical reasoning.

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The Role of Load Management

Running technique is important, but understanding your current training load and how it interacts with your body’s capacity is the cornerstone of injury prevention and rehab.

• Reduce overall load if needed
• Improve your body’s capacity to tolerate it
• Shift the load away from sensitive structures
• Keep adapting to your goals and context

Load management strategies may include:

• Modifying your weekly training structure
• Introducing cross-training or active recovery
• Use evidence based progression models to ensure you aren’t increasing load too quickly.

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What About Footwear and Orthotics?

Shoe choice can influence mechanics, but it’s rarely the sole factor (pun intended!).

We consider:

• Strike pattern (heel vs midfoot vs forefoot)
• Pronation/supination tendencies
• Stiffness and drop of the shoe

Sometimes changing shoes can offload sensitive tissues, but more often, footwear is one piece of a broader plan. Orthotic therapy may be used in cases where there are chronic injuries or other complex issues.

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So, who are running assessments for?

Everyone.

That’s not a cliché – it’s supported by the literature:

• Recreational runners: Often show biomechanical patterns that can be improved, even without pain
• Competitive runners: Looking for performance edge and injury resilience
• Post-injury runners: Needing a safe, structured return
• Triathletes: Who often show unique gait patterns following cycling due to altered hip/pelvis dynamics (Rendos et al., 2013)

Many runners think gait analysis is only for when you’re injured. That’s simply not true. In fact, many performance gains come from improving neuromuscular control, movement economy, and mechanical efficiency – all of which can be assessed and addressed in a gait assessment session.

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Are You Ready to Run Better?

A gait assessment is not about fixing every flaw. It’s about finding meaningful, individualised ways to help you run more efficiently, stay injury-free, or finally break through a plateau.

At GV Sportscare Shepparton, we take a personalised, evidence-informed approach—bridging biomechanics, clinical reasoning, and practical strategies to support every runner’s journey.

📞 Book your assessment today and take the next step in your running performance. Book online or call 03 58977044 to book a Running Analysis.

– Ryan Davey, Podiatrist, Shepparton

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Beattie, K., Kenny, I. C., Lyons, M., & Carson, B. P. (2014). The effect of strength training on performance in endurance athletes. Sports Medicine, 44(6), 845–865.
Nunes, G. S., Barton, C. J., & Serrão, F. V. (2018). Hip rate of force development and strength are impaired in females with patellofemoral pain without signs of altered gluteus medius and maximus morphology. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 21(2), 123–128.
Barton, C. J., Bonanno, D. R., Carr, J., Neal, B. S., Malliaras, P., Franklyn-Miller, A., & Menz, H. B. (2016). Running retraining to treat lower limb injuries: A mixed-methods study of current evidence synthesised with expert opinion. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(9), 513–524.
Seitz, L. B., Reyes, A., Tran, T. T., Saez de Villarreal, E., & Haff, G. G. (2014). Increases in lower-body strength transfer positively to sprint performance: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 44(12), 1693–1702.
Barton, C. J. (2017). Managing RISK when treating the injured runner with running retraining, load management and exercise therapy. Physical Therapy in Sport, 24, 1–5.
Rendos, N. K., Harrison, B. C., Dicharry, J. M., Sauer, L. D., & Hart, J. M. (2013). Sagittal plane kinematics during the transition run in triathletes. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 16(3), 259–265.

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Cupping is a technique commonly used by our Shepparton Myotherapist, in conjunction with other techniques such as massage, dry needling and the Graston technique.

Using suction and negative pressure, cupping therapy helps release tight soft tissue, break up adhesions, and lift connective tissue. This process enhances blood circulation to the treated areas, delivering vital minerals and nutrients essential for muscle health.

The lifting effect of the cups also provides a gentle stretch to target myofascial trigger points (muscle knots), helping to restore the muscle’s full length, elasticity, and strength.

Benefits of cupping therapy

• Pain Relief: Cupping therapy has been known to provide relief from muscle tension, chronic pain, and even conditions like migraines and back pain
• Improved Circulation: By creating a vacuum effect, cupping therapy helps to enhance blood flow to targeted areas. This increased circulation can aid in transporting vital nutrients and oxygen to tissues, supporting their rejuvenation and healing.
• Stress Reduction: The calming nature of cupping therapy induces relaxation, helping to lower stress levels.
• Detoxification: The suction created during cupping therapy is thought to draw out toxins and waste products from the body’s tissues. This detoxification process can help promote a healthier internal environment.
• Muscle Recovery: Athletes and active individuals often use cupping therapy to aid muscle recovery. It can alleviate muscle soreness, improve flexibility, and accelerate healing after intense physical activities.
• Combination with Other Therapies: Cupping therapy can complement other treatments, such as acupuncture and massage, enhancing their effectiveness and contributing to a holistic wellness approach

Is it painful? What about the bruises?

One of the more interesting aspects of cupping therapy is the skin discoloration it can leave behind. These marks often resemble round circular bruises but are entirely harmless and a normal part of the cupping process – they shouldn’t be cause for concern.

It’s important to note that cupping can still be effective even without visible marks.

The color of the mark will usually fade within 24 hours but may take several days to completely disappear. Most marks fade within 4 to 10 days, although this is dependent on the individual.

– Jake Curtis
Myotherapist Shepparton
GV Sportscare

The post Myotherapy: cupping appeared first on GV Sportscare.

How does it work?

The Graston method uses specially designed stainless-steel tools of different shape and sizes, that move over the skin to allow the clinician to gain feedback, identify and address areas with damaged fibrotic tissue. These instruments enable clinicians to apply precise pressure to break up scar tissue, which can restrict movement and cause pain.

The scraping action creates controlled microtrauma, triggering a localized inflammatory response that speeds up tissue repair and boosts blood flow to the area. This process not only helps reduce pain and improve function but also promotes the realignment of collagen fibres, enhancing the flexibility and strength of the affected tissues.

Who could benefit?

The Graston Technique can be highly beneficial for a variety of individuals, especially those dealing with soft tissue injuries or post-surgical scar tissue.

• Back pain, shoulder pain and neck pain
• Plantar fasciitis
• Tendinopathies
• Athletes recovering from sports injuries

Who is not a good candidate?

Your Shepparton Myotherapist will discuss whether or not this technique is appropriate for your condition, as the Graston Technique may not be suitable for everyone. Rest assured that we will assess your injuries and medical history to determine whether you’re a good candidate for the treatment.

Individuals with compromised skin, such as open wounds or active infections should avoid this treatment. It’s also not recommended for those with certain vascular conditions, like deep vein thrombosis, due to the risk of dislodging a clot. People taking blood thinners or those with bleeding disorders may be more prone to bruising and bleeding. Also, people with a recent injury may not benefit, as the microtrauma created may disrupt the initial healing processes of the body.

– Jake Curtis
Myotherapist Shepparton
GV Sportscare

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Dry needling, sometimes referred to as trigger point needling, involves inserting acupuncture-style needles into muscle trigger points to provoke a ‘twitch’ response. This response helps release or relax the trigger points. The term “dry” refers to the fact that the needles are used without any medication.

The primary goal of dry needling is to restore normal muscle function. It is typically combined with a targeted exercise program, or other manual techniques, designed to address biomechanical imbalances that contribute to muscle dysfunction and the formation of myofascial trigger points.

This approach takes aim at the root cause of the muscle dysfunction rather than simply addressing the symptoms, such as pain.

What is a trigger point?

A trigger point is the painful point can be felt as a lump, band or ‘knot’ in the muscle, and a twitch response can be elicited on stimulation of the trigger point. Palpation of the trigger point reproduces pain, and the pain radiates in a distribution typical of the specific muscle containing the trigger point or may ‘shoot’ and refer to a different area.

How does it work?

Needle penetration causes localised tissue damage, which triggers an inflammatory process. This stimulates release of small inflammatory chemicals in the body called histamine and bradykinin which results dilation of the blood vessels. This means that blood flow to the area is increased allowing for nutrient delivery and removal of waste products that the body makes after injury.

The needle’s stimulation also targets the tight muscle fibres (trigger points) promoting their relaxation.

Additionally, dry needling reduces pain through both local and central nervous system responses. The sensation from the needle insertion triggers the brain to release endorphins, the body’s natural pain relievers, providing short-term pain relief.

Electro-stimulation using dry needles:

Electrostimulation with dry needles is a therapeutic technique that combines dry needling and electrical stimulation.

After the dry needles are inserted, our Shepparton Myotherapist then can apply an electrical current through the needles to stimulate the tissues.

• The electrostimulation enhances the effects of the dry needling, speeding up tissue healing and regeneration. The electrical pulses encourage cells to migrate to the targeted area, boosting cellular activity and promoting faster recovery, ultimately supporting the restoration of balance and healing in the tissue.
• Electrostimulation can also be a great addition to your rehabilitation program, by activating or ‘waking up’ muscles that are weak.
• The electrical impulses can also help block pain signals from reaching the brain, reducing the sensation of discomfort.

What conditions can it help?

• Muscle pain or tightness
• Chronic pain
• Neck pain
• Low back pain
• Muscle strains
• Osteoarthritis
• Tendinopathies

Dry needling and electro-stimulation can be used alongside massage, cupping and other myotherapy techniques.

Click here to read more about our Shepp Myo!

– Jake Curtis
Myotherapist Shepparton
GV Sportscare

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The main goals of myotherapy are:

• Pain Relief: Myotherapists work to reduce or eliminate pain caused by muscle tension, trigger points (tight, painful spots in muscle tissue), and other musculoskeletal issues.
• Improved Movement: Through targeted therapy, myotherapy helps improve range of motion and flexibility in affected muscles and joints.
• Injury prevention: Myotherapists often provide advice on posture, ergonomics, and exercises to prevent future injury or discomfort.
• Recovery: It is used to speed up recovery from injury or chronic musculoskeletal conditions by addressing the underlying causes of pain.

Our Shepp Myo uses a number of different techniques to get you back to feeling great!

• Massage
• Dry needling and electrostimulation
• Cupping
• Graston technique 
• Myofascial release
• Stretching
• Exercise prescription

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Myotherapists are clinicians who have undergone formal higher-level education, and are accredited and registered with a professional body such as Myotherapy Association Australia.

Our Shepparton Myotherapist often works with patients who have conditions like chronic back pain, headaches, sports injuries, postural problems, and general muscle soreness.

– Jake Curtis
Myotherapist Shepparton
GV Sportscare

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Clinical classes are run by fully trained physiotherapists. Physiotherapists spend 4-6 years studying in depth anatomy and biomechanics in order to learn why and how the body should move. We then use these skills to assess injuries and how best to rehabilitate them.

Pilates has been well studied as a successful mode of rehab in particular for those with neck and back pain, but can be used for most injuries. Our Clinical Exercise classes are capped at a maximum of 6 participants, meaning that each person will be closely supervised in order to prevent poor quality execution of exercises and prevent further injury.

Each participant will perform their own individual program that has been designed by our Shepparton physiotherapists, in order to address areas of weakness or correct poor movement patterns.  The tailored program is progressed once quality of movement has been achieved. It is important to understand that at different stages of your life that your body adapts to increasing load differently and therefore progressions are carefully thought out by your physio.

Physios are also able to account for recent relapses or ‘flare ups’ of injury and alter your program accordingly to prevent further irritation. Physios are also able to manage multiple injuries and find a way to keep you exercising safely. We also have many clients who just like to exercise for general fitness under the supervision of a physiotherapist. For those who fall into more vulnerable groups eg pregnant, returning to exercise post pregnancy, returning to exercise post major surgery or illness, we can also account for changes in your anatomy, physiology and load tolerance to design an appropriate program.

For these reasons group physio classes is one of the only classes that are still funded by private health insurance companies as per the new government regulations.

What is a reformer and why is it so popular?

Joseph Pilates was the inventor of Pilates and one of the machines he developed to practice Pilates is called the Reformer. A Reformer has a carriage which is flat platform and rolls back and forth on a frame. The carriage is attached to one end by springs that provide differing levels of resistance. The reformer also has straps that you can use to push or pull with your arms or legs.

You may have heard that Pilates is a great way to train your core. With the Reformer the carriage which rolls along the frame and the springs that can be changed to provide more or less support which will challenge stability and core strength. The Reformer is designed in such a way that muscle is built but joints do not feel the same type of load that traditional exercise can place in them. Therefore people find that they can challenge their body more in Pilates and build strength easier. Our Shepparton physios can change how much of your body is supported by the Reformer which will change how much support your body will need to provide to perform the exercise.

One of the great advantages of the Reformer is that due to it’s versatility and design you can exercise is many different positions and it is adjustable for individual body types an

To summarise reformers are popular for a few reasons:

-it’s versatility means exercises can be tailored to many different fitness levels

-it’s gentle, many exercises can be performed lying down, sitting or standing. They are generally low impact however still count as ‘weightbearing exercise’ in most instances.

-it can also be really challenging, as your awareness and core strength improves the more challenging exercises you can master.

-there is much research to prove that Clinical Pilates is very beneficial in many musculoskeletal injuries, particularly neck and low back pain.

-Sophie Woodhouse

Physiotherapist Shepparton

GV Sportscare

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Shepparton Podiatrist Tom explains in this video how to map out your runs and think carefully about the amount of rest in between each run. He also explains why rest days, strength and conditioning and cross training are all great ideas.

When it comes to running injuries, Tom will often help his clients to write out their weekly routine and look at what can be added or adjusted to allow the individual to continue to run while rehabbing an injury.

Tom Davey

Podiatrist Shepparton, GV Sportscare

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Dr Peter Brukner, the ‘founder of sports medicine’ in Australia, creator of Olympic Park Sports Medicine, left his lucrative role as sports doctor for Cricket Australia and became a full time advocate to reduce Australia’s sugar intake by half. Sophie was lucky enough to watch him evolve through this process, seeing him lecture on the topic 4 times over a number of years. Peter has joined many other top doctors around the world to look at the impact of high carbohydrate (high sugar) diets on obesity, type two diabetes and overall health. The LCHF diet is essentially returning to how we used to eat, before obesity was rampant and is not a diet so much as understanding what is healthy food and what is not. Learning from science, not from what the food industry markets to us. It is about understanding that starch breaks down to sugar and it doesn’t matter if that is found in your white bread or your banana, it still breaks down to sugar.

We are particularly interested in the LCHF diet as it also aligns with a low inflammatory diet and this can have a large impact on musculoskeletal and arthritic conditions. Excessive weight has been proven to negatively impact your joint health and therefore we find it important to talk about your weight and diet as part of your injury management. It also impacts the health of a diabetic and Dr David Unwin, your friendly local GP from the UK has had huge success with reversing type two diabetes via diet alone (ie drug free reversal of type two diabetes). This again links to Tom’s work as a Podiatrist providing skin and nail care for diabetics who are more at risk of ulcers and sensation/circulation complications. We had the pleasure of hearing Dr Unwin speak and he is a gentle and thoughtful Dr that has changed how he practices and truly listens to his patients. We highly recommend his content, particularly his youtube videos if you are a type two diabetic. 

As we are not dieticians or nutritionists we have put together a library of resources to read and learn from. We also have close contacts of people in these industries and can point you in the direction of a helping hand. It’s also important to note that different people have different food tolerances and this will impact what food is right for you. Chose your medium, don’t try to read/listen/watch to them all! 

Books

A Fat Lot of Good, Peter Brukner

Good Calories Bad Calories, Gary Taubes 

The Big Fat Surprise, Nina Teicholz

Websites and links

Low Carb Downunder, this website also has a list of Australian LCHF health professionals.  If you are looking for a particular health professional please feel free to also speak with us.

Sugar by half

Fat lot of good: website links, podcasts

Diet doctor: A low-carb diet for beginners 

Intermittent fasting for beginners

Detailed guide to fasting

Facebook pages to follow

Sugar by half

Dr James Muecke, 2020 Australian of the Year

Diet doctors

MovingDietician

Videos

Dr David Unwin: HOPE on the horizon. Type 2 diabetes.

Dr. David Unwin & Dr. Jen Unwin – ‘Behaviour Change ‘In a nutshell’ & Picking our low carb battles’

Dr David Unwin: Explaining low carb in a simple way

Low Carb Down Under

Podcasts

The Fat Lot of Good website has a great list of podcasts

GP Podcast: Low carb for diabetes: Part 1, Part 2

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-Sophie Woodhouse

Physiotherapist Shepparton, GV Sportscare

-Tom Davey

Podiatrist Shepparton, GV Sportscare

Image sources:

–Sugar by half FB page

–Fat Lot of Good website

–Diet doctor FB page

–Low Carb Down Under website

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Exercise can come in many different forms during pregnancy, the most important aspect is that we are diligent and safe with our choices. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) recommends that ‘Women without contraindications should participate in regular aerobic and strength conditioning exercise during pregnancy…. Importantly, there is no evidence to suggest that regular exercise during an uncomplicated pregnancy is detrimental to the woman or fetus’

It is important to speak with your GP, midwife or obstetrician about your pregnancy and whether there are any reasons for you not to exercise during your pregnancy. For some women it is not possible due to complications in their pregnancy.

For those that can exercise, there are many benefits to exercise during pregnancy, some of those include:

-improved maternal psychological and physical health (particularly cardiovascular health)

-reduced musculoskeletal pain and discomfort (including back, pelvic or leg discomfort)

-reduced depressive symptoms

-decreased lower limb oedema (swelling)

-evidence is growing that exercise prevents or helps manage gestational diabetes and pre eclampsia

-some evidence for reduced length of labour and fewer neonatal complications

-lower incidence of operative delivery of baby

-increased birth weight to normal range of baby

-lower rate of prematurity

Our Shepparton physiotherapist will consider when advising you on exercise programs:

-baseline level of fitness and previous exercise experience

-physiological changes in pregnancy and what type of exercise and positions are safe for the pregnant women. (Please note after week 16 there is a strong recommendation to avoid lying on your back to exercise!)

-previous injury or new pregnancy related pain

-pelvic floor, consider pre-existing weaknesses and aim to include pelvic floor exercise in all programs

If you are unsure please feel free to speak with our Physiotherapist Sophie who can help guide you on safe exercise prescription. This can be a program to do within your own home or for those who want to continue in the gym we can help modify programs for here as well. If you are unable to exercise due to complications and you are experiencing back or pelvic pain we are also trained to treat these types of conditions safely at our Shepparton clinic. 

Helpful info:

Exercise during Pregnancy guideline, including warning signs during exercise. 

PARmed-X for PREGNANCY: a guideline for health screening prior to participation in a prenatal fitness class or other exercise, used by our Shepparton physio.

References:

Field, T. (2012). Prenatal exercise research. Infant Behavior and Development, 35(3), 397-407.

Melzer, K., Schutz, Y., Boulvain, M., & Kayser, B. (2010). Physical activity and pregnancy. Sports Medicine, 40(6), 493-507.

Sophie Woodhouse

Physiotherapist Shepparton, GV Sportscare

The post Exercise in Pregnancy appeared first on GV Sportscare.

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