Specialized Care

Runners have a natural enemy - themselves. Since the running boom of the 1970's, the number of injuries in this demanding sport have multiplied. Experts estimate that more than 70% of all runners will experience an injury severe enough to require at least one week's abstinence from running during the course of their running careers. Just as running is a special type of sport activity, so running injuries require a specialized expertise. Today, injured runners have their own place to go for expert care and healing, the UVa Runner's Clinic.

Injuries Treated

Runners can experience a wide range of over-use injuries of the back and lower extremities including hip, knee, foot and ankle injuries. These injuries can interfere with participation in the sport, and should be diagnosed and treated as soon as they occur for optimal recovery. Some common runners' injuries treated at the Runner's Clinic are lumbar spine pain, plantar fasciitis, runner's knee, stress fractures, shin splints, Achilles tendon injury, hip pain and sciatica. Not only must the injury be addressed, but also a variety of other factors such as biomechanical abnormalities, strength deficits and training errors. The Runner's Clinic prepares the runner for a safe return to running, and provides the runner with the best customized rehabilitation program available.

Services Offered

• Primary extensive patient/injury evaluation including detailed history of the injury
• Biomechanical analysis to identify muscle and joint imbalances that may cause injury including analysis of the runner on a treadmill
• Gait studies to optimize running form and technique
• Orthotics for correction of conditions such as excessive pronation or supination
• Deep water running/aquatic therapy during the injury healing period to maintain and improve running fitness
• Customized personalized rehabilitation exercise program
• Training advice to assist in a safe return to running

Community Partners

At the Runner's Clinic the injured runner can receive clinical hands-on expertise and customized rehabilitation regardless of age or level of running proficiency. This clinic provides the best specialized, comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation programs for direct patient care possible. The clinic also becomes an active partner with runners in the community offering educational seminars on running, staff participation in community running events, and specialized research programs on runners and running. A few of the community running events that the clinic covers are:

• The Charlottesville 10-Miler
• The Women's 4-Miler
• The Ragged Mountain Running Camp

Appointments

To make an appointment at the Runner's Clinic please call: 434-243-5600
The clinic fax is 434-243-5674.

Offices are located at the UVa Musculoskeletal Center in the Fontaine Research Park off of Fontaine Avenue on the third floor:
545 Ray C. Hunt Drive, Suite 310
Charlottesville, VA 22903-2981