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Last Updated: December 18th, 2024 at 11:21 pm
A couple weeks ago I evaluated a patient who was having knee pain while running
During the running gait analysis, it was apparent to me that what he was doing with his HANDS was contributing to his knee pain
Yes you read that correctly
Focusing on his lower body, when looking at his running form, it was obvious that he was getting TOO HIGH off the ground
The vertical height of each of his strides was large
Which causes higher impact forces once he contacts the ground
The main method for improving his knee pain was going to come from decreasing the vertical height of his running
One of the things I did to achieve this was look at what his hands were doing
His hands were repeatedly going ABOVE his clavicle as he was swinging his arms
When your hands go above your clavicle, it contributes to UPWARDS momentum resulting in greater vertical height
This got me going on explaining what he should be doing with his hands in general
There are 2 important landmarks when thinking about what to do with your hands while running: the clavicle and the sternum (pictured below)
Your hands should stay below your clavicle and not cross your sternum
As I’m swinging my arms, I like to imagine like my hands are staying within 2 separate boxes. Underneath the clavicle and within the sternum
If your arms cross midline (crossing the sternum), it contributes to heavily too side-to-side motion
If your arms cross your clavicle, it contributes too heavily to upwards motion
If you weren’t sure what to do with your hands while running, now you know
If you’re not sure what to do with your running injury, I’m here to help.
Schedule a free discovery phone call with me to get the ball rolling on your recovery
Over the phone we’ll talk about your specific issue, get you scheduled an initial evaluation, and establish a treatment plan for you to get you all patched up and enjoying running again
Your best is yet to come