Nearly every day, I find myself doing a physical therapy consultation on a “wobbly” runner, who admits to my facility frustrated and fearful that they might never return to a life of running. The vast majority of these runners have tried everything under the sun yet continue to deal with recurrent injury. In extreme cases, they have reported taking medication (NSAIDs & narcotic painkillers) and have even opted for a corticosteroid injection to temporarily mask their symptoms in a desperate attempt to get their running “fix.” The major problem, which is typically overlooked among runners dealing with recurrent injury, is what I have dubbed “the runner’s wobble.” The runner’s wobble typically stems from “functional instability,” whereby a loss of joint stabilization occurs. This termed was originally coined by Freeman and Wyke in the 1960s to describe a condition in patients with chronic ankle sprains, who had a normal clinical exam yet continued to experience recurrent injury. The runner’s wobble is often noted at the level of the ankle, knee, and hip, and may also be present at the level of the trunk. In a sport such as running, which involves the ability to maintain a straight and balanced position over a given distance, the runner’s wobble, if left untreated, can have grave consequences. Some of the injuries that may occur as a result include but are not limited to the following: patellar tendinosis, iliotibial band syndrome, hamstring strains, achilles tendinosis, and posterior tibialis tendinosis. So if you are a runner, who has been dealing with recurrent injury and are still looking for answers, take the time to try balancing on one leg to see if you may be suffering from the runner’s wobble. If you find that you are unsteady while simply balancing on one leg, this will only be compounded while running. To learn more about how to address and safeguard against the runner’s wobble, feel free to check out a recent post that I wrote for Endurance Corner entitled Single Leg Balancing – The Power of One. Wishing you HAPPY, HEALTHY, and STRONG Running!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice Post Chris. Was curious… with a patient like this who apparently over-pronates (and even further collapses into eversion while in single leg stance), do you suggest orthotics? I’m sure that the focus is on muscular stabilization training, but I’ve always questioned the ability of anyone’s inverting/supinating muscles to act effectively against full body weight over many miles of running (even highly trained and conditioned athletes). What are your thoughts?
Jarod,
Thanks for taking the time to respond to this post. While orthotics have their place, most of the runners I work with do not need them. I do place a huge emphasis on shoeing runners properly which requires a careful eye and an appropriate camera system. I assure you it’s definitely not as simple as just having runners go barefoot either. In terms of stability training, I do nearly all sensorimotor work couple with synchronization drills to facilitate powerful, efficient, and effortless running. Hope all is good in Austin and I cant wait to return to the Salt Lick BBQ joint. Keep up the great work and look forward to reading your ebook about cash based PT practice.