Dr. Roger De Sesa announces the addition of gait analysis at his chiropractic office to help fellow athletes improve performance.

The only other place in Santa Clarita offering the gait analysis is a shoe store, and the analysis is not as complete as what Dr. De Sesa will offer.

Dr. De Sesa came across gait analysis, which examines a runner’s stride and form, when he was researching causes for runners’ injuries.

“So many runners, myself included, get injured at the most interesting times—when we are not training. When I was exploring possible causes for injury, gait came up repeatedly in my research,” said the running chiropractor from Valencia.

Dr. De Sesa’s research led to more research and a decision to add gait analysis to his list of services. The purpose of the analysis is to identify areas of imbalance due to muscle weakness or tension.

“Runners who can spare 30 minutes for a gait analysis—and complete the recommended follow up—just might find their next run the best one in recent memory,” said Dr. De Sesa, who yesterday in the Santa Clarita event, ran his best marathon since his very first marathon. “The gait analysis is highly beneficial for someone who is just starting to run, someone with a prior history of injuries, or runners who feel they are not plateauing.”

Dr. De Sesa’s 30-minute gait analysis will include a test of strength and flexibility, along with a video analysis of the patient walking and running. After the analysis is completed, Dr. De Sesa will recommend exercises and/or stride adjustments to correct bad habits and improve performance.

Dr. De Sesa encourages runners to take advantage of the new service as there are many health benefits to running. According to a September 2014 article in The Wall Street Journal, James Fries, an emeritus professor of immunology and rheumatology at Stanford University, actually found more joint replacements in the non-runners he studied from a group of 1,000 people age 50 and older. Similarly, in a 2013 report published in Runner’s World, data indicated that runners have about a 20 percent lower risk of osteoarthritis and hip replacement than walkers have, probably because running lowers body mass index more effectively than walking.

In addition to the gait analysis, Dr. De Sesa also is now certified to offer instrument assisted, soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) to help athletes improve their performance. Specifically, Dr. De Sesa uses the Rock Blade tools to analyze areas of injury and to break down scarring and adhesions from old injuries. The arms, legs, and back are the most common areas where recovery is needed. Frequently, physical therapists use the tool with their patients.

The Rock Blade tool is an extremely sensitive tool that allows Dr. De Sesa to easily assess for soft tissue restrictions and then to provide an alternative method to relieve areas of tightness. Treatments take 30 seconds to three minutes and patients should feel improvement in six to 10 treatments.

Consultations are free with any of Dr. De Sesa’s services. For additional information, visit www.scvhealthcare.com.