Biomechanical Assessment

We rely on our feet all day, every day for movement, balance and posture. They often get neglected even though they are essential to our whole-body biomechanics. Early recognition of abnormal foot and lower limb biomechanics can often avoid injury and should always be considered in the prevention of injury. This also applies to children, where feet and walking problems may be corrected during growth. It is well recognised that an abnormal stance and gait can be the cause of recurrent postural problems and commonly include back, hip, knee, ankle and foot pain.

Biomechanics is the name given to the area of science concerned with the analysis of mechanics of human movement. In other words it is the science of explaining how and why the human body moves in the way that it does. Biomechanical Assessment leads us to diagnosis and treatment planning. Rarely do we find that our left and right sides are symmetrical. This is equally so for our feet and legs. The foot is a complex structure of 28 different bones (not 26 as commonly cited), 214 ligaments and 38 muscles, bearing our body weight as we walk every day.

The examination is not focused simply upon the foot but includes the entire body, looking at the head, shoulders, pelvis, legs and knees, assessing the relationship between them. It is important to examine the lower limbs as a whole because they are closely connected and pain in one area can be due to a weakness or structural problem in another area, and can often be exacerbated by poor posture and learnt habits. The assessment includes a Gaitscan which is a cutting-edge diagnostic tool and digital casting device that enables us to analyse our patients biomechanics and advise on custom foot orthotics. GaitScan is the leader in dynamic scanning capabilities for foot orthotics, with 4096 sensors and a scan rate of 300 frames per second.