Biomechanical Assessment

Our body parts are interconnected. That means that ain in one area can be the result of an issue elsewhere. At Kelso Foot Clinic, Matthew Aplin and Ruth Mole are trained to examine the movement of the whole body, not just the feet. They do this through biomechanical assessment.

What is biomechanical assessment?

Biomechanics is the name podiatrists use to describe an analysis of the mechanics of human movement. It’s the science which explains how and why the body moves as it does. A biomechanical assessment at Kelso Foot Clinic will involve an examination not just of the feet but also their relationship to other joints of the lower limb.

Our limbs and joints are all connected. A weakness or structural problem in one area can cause issues in another. For example, the issue you have might stem from an injury or soft tissue damage somewhere else in the body.

Biomechanical assessment can be useful is if you have pain in your feet. lower limbs or back. In particular, it helps where a cause has not been established. We see patients, for example, with pain in the lower back where that pain is exacerbated by walking. The biomechanical assessment helps to figure out if your lower-limb movement and gait are contributing to the pain in your lower back.

What treatments follow biomechanical assessment?

The treatment depends very much on the findings of the assessment. Sometimes, Kelso Foot Clinic will advise on simple changes such as wearing trainers designed for your gait or wearing insoles. These solutions can be very effective in removing pain.

If your mechanics are causing the injury or pain, insoles or custom-made orthotics might be the solution.

Kelso Foot Clinic may, at times, refer you to another health care professional where this could be of benefit. For example, we might refer you to a physiotherapist. The reasons would be to improve muscle strength or flexibility through exercises. Other referrals may include to an osteopath or rheumatologist. Occasionally, we refer patients for imaging such as MRI scans, X-rays or CT-scans.