What are the Benefits of Biomechanical Assessments
What is Sports Podiatry?
Sports podiatry is a branch of podiatric medicine that focuses on the treatment of foot and lower limb injuries that are related to sporting activities. Through Biomechanical Assessments or the study of sports biomechanics, sports podiatry aims to align the lower limb in the most suitable position, to improve function and performance. Often, this process will reduce loads in injured tissues so they are not being re-injured or to prevent injury in the first place.
What is Biomechanics?
Biomechanics is the area of science that focuses on the forces (both internal and external) that affect the mechanics of human movement. In other words it’s the science that explains why your body moves in the way it does. The staff of Hills District Podiatry are highly trained in biomechanics and have a number of tools to assist in making an accurate biomechanical assessments.
What are Biomechanical Assessments?
A podiatry biomechanical assessment is a thorough analysis of your lower limb while non-weight bearing, standing and walking and/or running. Our practice uses video gait analysis, which is used to examine how you walk or run on a treadmill in fine detail. We will also comprehensively examine muscle strength, joint mobility, flexibility and overall alignment.
Biomechanical assessments can quickly identify the cause of injury, muscular imbalances or pain. Significant improvements can be made to sporting performance and pain can be reduced from conditions such as flat feet, high arched feet, Charcot Foot (Arthropathy/Neuropathy), Club Foot, Charcot Marie Tooth Disease, Achilles Tendonitis and Plantar Fasciitis just to name a few.
In many cases, injury is caused by an excessive load or tissue stress. A thorough biomechanical assessment can identify the cause of that load, and a skilled practitioner will implement an intervention to reduce that load.