Podiatric Biomechanics

Biomechanics is the study of movement and the application of the laws of physics on movement. In a podiatric biomechanical examination we look at the body in three ways

• Lying on the couch - where we can develop an understanding of symmetry, muscle function and joint range of movement
• Standing - where we review the fundamental relationship of the foot to the floor interface. A review of posture is achieved as we look at the body from all sides. This can be supplemented by pressure plate analysis
• Walking - where we review the basic gait of an individual. This may be supplemented by a video gait analysis.

Knowledge of biomechanics underpins all modern podiatric medicine and as such is fundamental to our abilities in diagnosing your foot problems. At the practice all practitioners are trained to understand the biomechanical function of the foot.

At Total Foot Health we understand the importance of completely understanding your foot problem. By mapping the pressure distribution under the foot it is possible to view your foot mechanics from a previously impossible aspect i.e. the foot to ground interface. We use a large pressure plate with over 4000 sensors which measure pressure changes at 200 times per second.

The software produces a graphic image of this which can be interpretated both statically and dynamically along with 3D representation of pressure points making the clinical explanation much easier to understand for our patients.