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At Spaulding National Running Center, we provide comprehensive treatment for running injuries. We have a physical therapy clinic, directed by Dr. Irene Davis, that focusses on running-related injuries, although we also treat individuals with musculoskeletal injuries associated with walking gait.
We treat the entire spectrum of running-related injuries including the following:
The Spaulding National Running Center specializes in patients that have gone through one or more courses of physical therapy, yet remain sidelined or limited due to injury. Because we specialize in these difficult cases, our approach is unique to standard physical therapy clinics. Our treatment paradigm consists of a thorough initial assessment and follow up treatments (more information below). We can accommodate patients from beyond the Greater Boston region, where a return to the SNRC for follow up is not feasible. We believe that almost everyone that wants to run should be able to pain-free, and we work hard to accomplish this for our patients.
We base our approach on evidence, including our 25 years of research focused on the relationships between lower extremity structure, mechanics and injuries in runners. The ongoing research in the SNRC laboratory, and that of others, continues to inform our clinical practice.
The initial assessment is a self-pay evaluation performed by Irene Davis, PhD, PT, Director of the Spaulding National Running Center, and a physical therapist. New patients undergo an extensive evaluation, which takes approximately 3 hours.
Your self-pay evaluation includes:
Instrumented treadmill assessment of running
Video assessment of running
Postural assessment
Musculoskeletal assessment (alignment, strength, flexibility)
Footwear assessment
Patients will receive a full report, including copies of your force measures and videos (see below), videos of their running patterns, and a summary of our assessment and recommendations.
Based upon your initial evaluation, a clinical hypothesis regarding the cause of the running injury or injuries is developed. Runners are then given individualized treatment plans that include:
Strength and flexibility program
Gait retraining to address faulty movement pattern
Training program
Footwear recommendations
Our research has revealed that many gait-related injuries are related to faulty mechanics, and that these faulty mechanics can be changed through a process of relearning new motor patterns. Unless the underlying mechanics related to injury are addressed, the risk for reinjury is increased. We have led the way in the area of gait retraining to reduce running (and walking) related injuries and will assist you on your quest for injury-free running. Below is an example of the changes in mechanics that can be made through our evidence-based gait retraining program.
To schedule an initial, self-pay running assessment, please call 617.952.6833. There are only a few evaluations available per week, due to the in-depth nature of the visit.
Follow-up appointments are scheduled after the initial eval and are typically covered by insurance. They are available most days and times during normal hours of 7:30 am to 6:30 pm.
