Title:
Anatomy for Runners: Unlocking Your Athletic Potential for Health, Speed, and Injury Prevention
Author: Jay Dicharry, MPT, SCS
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing; 1 edition (August 1, 2012)
Pages: 290
Price: $10.67 (Paperback) or $7.99 (Kindle)
ISBN: 1620871599
Well, I've never formally written a review before let alone published one for people to read on a blog. The only reviewing I have done is given my opinion to others that would listen (or pretend to). However, I decided that this book was a great place to start. The quality of information and the way it was delivered has given me the motivation to make an attempt at writing this review. So...where do I begin?
First of all, Jay Dicharry is a brilliant clinician and researcher with a wealth of knowledge about running research, injuries, biomechanics and footwear. Commonly, a person with so much knowledge about one topic will struggle to convey their knowledge to others in a way that can be easily understood. Dicharry on the other hand excels at teaching and preaching to others in a very efficient way. The author often presents information with analogies that allow the layman to grasp advanced biomechanical concepts. I often find myself stealing some of his analogies to explain certain concepts to my own patients. Dicharry could make a living on just making up analogies and metaphors alone.
In this book Jay Dicharry takes the reader on a crash course on physics, biomechanics, micro and macro anatomy, tissue mechanics, tissue mobility, gait, footwear, as well as the assessment and rehabilitation of running injuries. That is a mouthful and there is a substantial amount of information to learn.
This book does a great job of explaining the who, what, why and how’s to go about evaluating, fixing, and enhancing yourself as a runner. More importantly, most of the information gleaned from this book is applicable to not only competitive athletes but also recreational athletes and physically active people looking to improve health and wellness.
There are great graphics within the book that illustrate concepts, show how to perform self-assessments, and examples of corresponding rehab exercises to fix issues raised in the assessment section.
A lot of the concepts taught, evaluations used, and rehabilitative plans discussed within this book are some of the same I used in my own personal practice with athletes and runners. I am positive this is not a substitute for a 1 on 1 with Jay Dicharry himself but I am sure he uses a lot of this same stuff on a daily basis.
I can guarantee that there are some incredibly smart and very effective clinicians out there practicing today. However, not all are created equal and many great clinicians have a very limited knowledge related to running and treating running related injuries as well. Nevertheless, depending on your location, this may be the best resource that you have available at your disposal(if you buy it and read it). That being said this book is not a substitute for seeking actual medical care but it is the perfect resource for addressing nagging chronic issues, having a human movement-oriented “owner’s manual”, and information on how to enhance your own athletic prowess and running performance.
Based on the author's credentials, the quality of his writing, and the content of this book I would recommend this as a must read for any clinicians working with runners. I take that back, I recommend it for any clinicians working with anyone that is physically active. I also recommend this to runners, triathletes, cyclists…heck this book is applicable to anyone that is involved in any sport that involves movement let alone running.
I just thought I would include a little background about Dicharry and I am going to be lazy and just copy and paste the bio from his book. You could also read his entire bio straight from his blog, An Athlete’s Body if you want to know more.
“Jay Dicharry, MPT, SCS, is the Director of the SPEED Clinic and the Motion Analysis Lab at the University of Virginia. Originally from New Orleans, Jay received his Masters of Physical Therapy degree at Louisiana State University Medical Center. He is an instructor in the Sports Medicine program and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency at the University of Virginia. Jay is a Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist, and a certified coach through both the United States Track and Field Association and the United States Cycling Federation.
He is widely published in numerous professional journals on running gait and biomechanics, lectures nationally to clinicians and coaches on care of endurance athletes, conducts research on runners, and consults to individual, USA Track and Field and the US Air Force on athlete development. Jay has a competitive history in swimming, triathlon, cycling, and running events on both the local and national level, and has coached athletes from local standouts to national medalists. His passion is combining his personal, clinical, and research focus to help athletes achieve their full potential.”
Sounds like a very qualified and knowledgeable resource to me but I didn’t make this the deciding factor when evaluating whether this would be a good book. I actually read the book and I agree and support the information within it.
In conclusion, this is a great book that is very concise but yet in-depth at the same time. I definitely recommend it and I have already lent out/given away my own personal copy to spread the knowledge of this book to others. I feel like this action shadows Dicharry’s passion for helping others. I know first hand that he is a very unselfish person. Jay has helped me on several occasions by answering specific questions that I have asked of him when I contacted him out of the blue. The nation’s first minimalist shoe store, Two Rivers Treads, is also spreading this message and knowledge by shipping a copy of this book free with any purchase from their store. This book costs less than $15. That is probably less than the cost of 1 copay for a visit to a physical therapist. Go get it(the book, not the PT visit).
Here is a link to purchase it from Amazon in either print or kindle versions!
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