Gait Retraining for Young Soldiers with Exercise Related Leg Pain: A Short Communication on Recent Findings

Exercise related leg pain (ERLP) is a common problem in the military and has a large impact on basic military training. Gait retraining as a treatment for ERLP, with the goal of reducing symptoms and preventing recurrence of ERLP is presumably widespread practice, despite a paucity of clinical evidence of its effectiveness. The Royal Dutch Armed Forces have performed several recent gait retraining studies in experimental and clinical settings. Symptom reduction and reductions in ground reaction forces while running and marching in running shoes and in military boots can be achieved and maintained long-term after approximately five individual training sessions over a threemonth period. Gait retraining as a method of treatment and prevention of ERLP in the military deserves more study to confirm our promising findings.