Changes in hip and spine movement with increasing running speed.
Michio Tojima, Ayaka Osada, Suguru Torii
PMID 31528005WHAT IT FOUND
Faster treadmill running increased upper back side bending and rotation and lower back extension and rotation, while hip flexion at toe-off fell.
Only healthy female runners were tested, so it is not evidence about pain or treatment.
Key findings
01Increasing running speed significantly increased thoracic lateral bending and rotation.
02Increasing running speed significantly increased lumbar extension and rotation.
03Hip flexion at toe-off decreased from 15.9° ± 5.8° to 9.3° ± 6.0° and 6.5° ± 5.0° as speed rose, and it correlated with lumbar extension at 6 km/h and 9 km/h but not 12 km/h.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only seven healthy female college track runners were studied, so it may not apply to other runners or people with pain. The runners ran on a treadmill, and the authors noted they may not have been accustomed to it, which could affect hip motion. The study reported movement angles and timing, not pain or treatment effects. The runners were compared at three treadmill speeds in the same participants, not followed over time.
Declared interests
No funding was declared, and all authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that faster running causes low back pain or that hip stretching prevents it. The study measured healthy female runners on a treadmill and did not assess pain, injury, or treatment.