The Runner's Mechanic Physical Therapy Clinic

I have been meaning to leave a review for a LONG time. In 2020, l was dealing with terrible Achilles tendinitis. Like most runners, l just kept going and going and it got worse and worse. Eventually, my ankle was the size of a softball and l was forced to make decisions about what to do next. Rest helped, but didn't fix the issue. I met with Miriam for an assessment and she pinpointed some weaknesses in my kinetic chain and prescribed exercises to fix the underlying issues. Literally 3 weeks later and it was like l had never been injured. My mind was blown. I am a Personal Trainer and Coach and have referred clients to her in the past 2 years with similar stories.

She worked with one of my clients that had qualified for the Boston Marathon and was dealing with the reality that he may not be healthy enough to run on race day, and she got him right!

I sent a high school runner last year that was dealing with a mild groin injury at the end of the season. He scored 5 points at the State Meet and this year he was the State MVP!

I have a 60 year old client that has dealt eith injuries his whole life but has lofty 5k goals! We got pretty close to hitting those goals and he suffered a log cutting accident! Chainsaw shot a log right into his shin, and set him back. It changed his running form and created a new injury! He is 61 years old and just ran a sub-21 5k!!

She is worth the time and worth the money especially if sport performance is your main goal! She fixed Me, a Boston Qualifier, A State MVP, and a Senior Games State Qualifier!

PS- Sorry it took so long to write a review :-)

Miriam is a miracle worker. I had been dealing with shin splints for close to a year with no progress, only being able to run off and on, and the recovery program Miriam gave me had me doing pain-free 8-milers in two months. Her method will also teach you a lot about your own running style and how to adapt to it. I highly recommend her work to any athlete seeking to come back from an injury or to avoid getting one while increasing training.

I had been struggling with rather severe tennis elbow for about five months. I initially saw an orthopedic surgeon who's answer was a steroid shot. The shot helped almost immediately, but the pain returned just as quickly. I then saw a body work specialist several times who's help was giving me some relief but it wasn't quite getting to the root of the problem. She suggested I see a physical therapist. When I first met with Miriam, she suggested that we could get this fixed in about 4 weeks. Having been struggling with this for several months with various and limited means to treatment, I was skeptical that she could fix it in four weeks. In just two sessions over two weeks of dry-needle, blood flow restriction, and trigger point therapies, along with 2 exercises to do at home, I am 95% better. I am very thankfully surprised that Miriam was able to fix this so quickly. During our sessions she had the utmost professional and caring demeanor. She made me feel at ease and well cared for.

If you are dealing with a running related injury or pain - you are wasting your time and money to see anyone other than Miriam at the Runners Mechanic. Years back I had a nagging knee pain and visited multiple other PT's in the Asheville area, none of which could correctly diagnose the problem. On the first visit to Miriam, she did a video analysis and spotted the issue almost immediately. A simple gait change and that pain hasn't come back since. I have been working with her on and off whenever pain comes up and every time she is able to identify the issue and provide a fix to get me back on the trails. We are blessed to have her in the Asheville area and I hope all runners can take advantage of her knowledge and skills.

I just recently went to the Runner’s Mechanic clinic for a nagging hamstring sensitivity that I was dealing with. I had worked with other regular physical therapists in the past, but Miriam’s practice was the one that easily had the most benefits for me! It is a real game changer as a runner to work with a running-focused practice and this helped me feel very confident about my injury rehab. One of the best parts of the process at the Runner’s Mechanic was the video gait analysis, it was really wonderful to have that personal analysis that teaches you about what you need to change, as opposed to normal physical therapy clinics where often you are just given arbitrary exercises. As for the efficacy of the practice, the results for me at least speak for themselves; a month out from my ONE appointment an issue I dealt with for months prior is basically negligible. I would wholeheartedly recommend this practice to any runner, injured or not, to improve your form and reduce the risk of injuries. Miriam is such a great person who will truly help you be your best!

I took my son to get the All-Inclusive Runners Evaluation with Miriam. He's a competitive High School cross country and track distance runner and was experiencing some tendonitis in his foot during his senior season. The experience surpassed our expectations. Miriam was easy to communicate with and responsive in setting up the appointment. The evaluation, which includes video from different angles to assess all aspects of a runner's form, was very thorough and she does a great job of explaining what she is noticing. She took great interest in learning about my son's running and ambitions, along with his tendonitis. She provided detailed guidance on what he could do as far as stretching and strengthening exercises to work through the tendonitis and develop strength in key muscle groups to help prevent injury. Miriam provided recommendations for training runs to help my son gradually work back to his normal routine, and was responsive when we had questions in the weeks following the appointment. She was very patient and encouraging. I highly recommend Miriam to anyone wanting to improve their running form and performance, assess weaknesses, receive physical therapy, and prevent injury. She is THE BEST...really knows her stuff, and we are so glad someone referred us to her.

In January 31st 2022 I was in a nearly fatal motor vehicle collision. I sustained multiple fractures leaving me unable to walk for months. My Physical Therapy journey started and continued past a year of my injury date. After I regained some range of motion I was still unable to job and perform any of my job functions to return back to work. I searched running therapy one night and stumbled upon “The Runners Mechanic” I believed this would be a perfect fit considering my situation. I highly recommend Miriam and her services. The manual therapy relieved almost all of my pain in the ankle and surrounding areas. With lots of other helpful things Miriam taught me I was able to jog for the first time in over a year. Not only the physical ability to do this but the mental aspect of things. I was terrified to put full pressure on my foot. She made me feel comfortable and confident. She is truly one of a kind and it was a blessing to work with her.

Some of the biggest strides I've taken in my running career are results of the guidance and wisdom granted by Miriam Nelson over at The Runners Mechanic Physical Therapy Clinic. Miriam is super conscientious about what she does. She examines your running from the ground up, not letting anything go unnoticed or unaddressed. The plans she gives to address your ailments, injuries, or weaknesses not only give you healing, but give you strength to prevent any further injury, increasing your longevity and keeping you running happy. I still use the strength training routine she gave me after I sustained a stress fracture in my sophomore year. She also improved my running form. Since then, my running has greatly improved while staying happy and healthy. I encourage ALL runners, injured or not, to visit Miriam. If you're injured, she will find what's wrong and give you a plan to address it and prevent it from happening again. If you're not injured, she can analyze your running form and running habits and correct them so that future injury is prevented. Even if you're not a runner but an athlete and have different ailments or injuries, without hesitation I recommend Miriam. Or if you're anybody that has any nagging ailment or injury, I still urge you to visit Miriam Nelson at The Runners Mechanic Physical Therapy Clinic in Asheville. She is honest, kind, and conscientious. I'm very thankful for the ways in which she has helped me in my running career.

Miriam is amazing! I was having trouble with my hip & arm from weights and other activities. She listened, explained what the probable causes were, treated the areas and provided me with solutions to move forward and heal. She did dry needling on my areas of concern and I am pretty pain adverse and I didn't even flinch. She is a dry needling whisperer. I was referred to her by a dear friend who had spoke so highly of her and now I am a fan forever. Thank you Miriam. You have a gift!

I visited to address a non-running related shoulder injury and could not be happier with the immediate relief experienced. I'm also optimistic about my longer term trajectory back to wellness and have actionable steps to take towards this goal. Thank you so much!!

I am so thankful for the help and guidance from Miriam at The Runner’s Mechanic! I had been struggling with pain while running for almost two years and I wish I had gone to her much sooner. She was able to identify a major area of weakness for me and gave me a structured home exercise plan and return to running plan that has me feeling great and running pain-free for the first time in so long. The individual care and extensive time she gives to patients is incredible; you won’t find this in other PT clinics. She is a call or email away if I have questions in between sessions and I feel that she is highly dedicated to my progress and healing. Her expertise is unmatched - my issues were missed previously by others but she hit the nail on the head. Everyone I know who has been to Miriam for running-related injuries has said the same thing. If I could go back in time and make an appointment with her sooner I would! I couldn’t recommend Miriam enough to all runners!

Miriam is the best! She is so knowledgeable and encouraging. As I train for my first ever marathon I feel more confident after seeing her and getting specific exercises and advice. Can’t recommend enough!

After a year of trying to rehab an off and on problem with my hip flexor alone. I was feeling frustrated. I couldn't run two miles without pain. I wasn't able to compete in races that I wanted to run. Finally, I went to see Miriam. She evaluated my strength and running technique and gave me a detailed program to follow. I followed the program she gave me and after a month of exercises and drills, my hip flexor issue was gone. I was able to train for and complete a 50k two months after I met with her. I'm currently training for another 50k and it wouldn't have been possible without Miriam's intervention.

I have been seeing Miriam several times a year for the past four years. As a competitive runner in my 60's, my body does not recover like it used to; however, Miriam has given me several PT exercises that I have incorporated into my daily life that have helped me to train and race. She also gave me some form advice that corrected the engagement of my muscles, making me a faster and more efficient runner. I can not recommend her services more highly.

Anyone with a sports injury should see Miriam first. The type of quality service is equivalent to what professional athletes are accustomed to . She understands the mechanics of how the body works. Miriam gives detailed feedback on injuries and how to correct problems in the future. She takes the time to understand how your injury occurred and develops a recovery plan that will get you back on track as quickly as possible. I highly recommend Miriam if you want the absolute best.

Miriam is incredible! She is knowledgeable about how the body works, as well as how different techniques and strengthening can affect the function of the body. She has helped me return to running after children, and she has helped my body heal faster from injuries. Miriam genuinely cares about her clients and helping them to be as healthy as can be. I highly recommend her!

Miriam is so good at what she does! I developed an injury while training for Shut-In last fall. Miriam graciously worked me into her busy schedule within the next few days. Without the therapy that Miriam provided I wouldn’t have been able to run that race. She also gave great advise on how to remain injury free in the future. I am so glad that I found Miriam, and you will be, too!

I’ve been seeing Miriam for 7 years and I can attest to her knowledgeable treatment, focused accuracy, and results that provide relief and mobility. Through the years I’ve had injuries in my feet, calves, hamstrings, hips and back (I’m a runner) and every time I’ve seen Miriam, I’ve come away feeling better, more flexible and able to continue training. Miriam is the best!

Miriam has helped my running immensely. I went to her seeking help with some nagging injuries and generalized declining running performance that I hadn't been able to solve on my own over the past few years. She helped identify some muscle group weaknesses and helped devise a plan to fix those weakness as well as retrain my gait to prevent re-injury. I couldn't be more happy with the results. Running is fun again, and I feel like I have turned back the clock at least 2-3 years. Miriam gets my unequivocal recommendation for any athlete looking to improve his or her performance and well-being!

For the first time in my running career I’ve found someone that understands running mechanics and injuries. Miriam is a great therapist but also provides great insight and can fix underlying issues. After a year of problems, I feel like I am finally healing and getting stronger.