Therapy Services Success Spotlight
Christina Murphy I Columbus Running Company
“It really helps me in two ways,” explained Murphy, “[The Alter-G] is getting me past the injury while also saving me some impact from daily training.”
In August of 2015, Olympic hopeful Christina Murphy came down with an injury to her plantar on her right foot. While she initially tried to power through, the problem persisted and came to a head in October, as she was in the midst of training for the Olympic Trials.
Murphy’s injury, a combination of plantar fasciitis and nerve damage, left her status for the biggest race of her life in question. Murphy turned to her coach at Columbus Running Company, Jim Jurcevich who put her in touch with Geoff Omiatek, a physical therapist at Orthopedic ONE.
After meeting Omiatek, Murphy started going to Orthopedic ONE to train on the Alter-G treadmill. Referred to by Omiatek simply as “The G”, this machine uses a positive pressure system which calculates body mass and allows an individual to work out or rehabilitate at only a fraction of his or her body weight. This allows for the reduction of the normal stresses placed on joints and muscles, and, in Murphy’s case, a chance to alleviate some pain.
“It really helps me in two ways,” explained Murphy, “[The Alter-G] is getting me past the injury while also saving me some impact from daily training.”
Murphy is still able to get the majority of her runs done outside, but twice a week workouts have been moved inside to the inflated half-bubble of the ‘G.’ Still, Murphy is confident she is able to train at an equally high level.
Training on the Alter-G has proven to be beneficial in other ways as well. As Omiatek explains, the device secures the hips in place and promotes mid-foot running, both of which increase Murphy’s efficiency and lessen the impact on her injured heel. But it certainly doesn’t do the running for her. “It’s still hard,” said Murphy, “I did a workout [recently] and I when I got off I was feeling pretty tired like I normally do.”
This February, Murphy plans to make the trip out to Los Angles to compete in the Olympic Trials as planned. She will do so thanks in large part to the training on the Alter-G and a team based approach at Orthopedic ONE.
Click here to learn more about the Alter-G and the impact it has had on Christina’s post-injury training program.
Click here to read the full article submitted by Columbus Running Company via their weekly blog, Valentine’s Project.