Gait Analysis & Biomechanical Assessment

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The Sportsphysio injury clinic provides gait analysis and biomechanical assessment in Cumbria and South Scotland.

Running SkeletonWe believe that a skilled practitioner is essential when it comes to analysing the foot and its actions. Most problems are not limited to simple pronation or supination of the foot.

A gait problem may lie with other structures of the body and a thorough, skillful assessment of your biomechanics, including foot, lower limb and spine is our standard approach.  For this reason, we prefer to use the term biomechanical assessment, of which gait analysis is only an element.

The outcome of the assessment will let us know where the problem lies. This will open up various treatment pathways, adapting them to find the right combination for you.

  • Some problems can be rectified with manipulation, adjustment and exercise programmes.
  • Core strength training can improve posture, leading to a more efficient gait (walking pattern).
  • Orthotics and specific exercises can be used to correct problems with the foot itself.

Why we are different

The Sportsphysio.com takes great pride in being one of a very few clinics to look comprehensively at the body as a whole, allowing you to obtain your very own “blueprint” of how your body’s biomechanics affect your sport and every day activity.

This profile allows you to understand your posture, technique, range of movement and flexibility.

Advice on how to utilise this and adapt where necessary, reduces unnecessary strain on soft tissues and joints and helps prevent injury.  Your agility, performance and personal best can be greatly improved.

  • Independent – The Sportsphysio gait analysis and video capture systems are our own. We do not tie ourselves to orthotics or footwear manufacturers and as a result feel that we offer a completely unbiased, professional service based on sound science and clinical based evidence.
  • Skill- We have an in depth knowledge of the body’s mechanics and the physical and mathematical processes involved in measuring it’s movement.
  • Open minded – Biomechanical or gait problems can have many causes, not all of which can be solved by orthotics.  Our thorough assessment allows us to determine the best advice or treatment approach for you.
  • Flexible – When orthotics are required, The Sportsphysio practitioners have access to a number of quality suppliers and specialist orthotists, to allow us to achieve your perfect orthoses.
  • Adaptable – We know that every body is different, so we will never use a “one style fits all” approach.  Instead we can help you get the best from what nature has given you, fine tuning each individual.

The Sportsphysio biomechanics assessment

A typical biomechanics assessment at The Sportsphysio clinic will take into account any problems you may be experiencing, your activity and aspirations.  Our comprehensive assessment includes:

  • Full postural analysis
  • Joint and muscle function tests
  • Comprehensive assessment of your foot function
  • Pressure measurement of your active foot
  • Video analysis

Who is biomechanical and gait analysis suitable for?

We work with elite and amateur sportsmen and women to help improve performance and reduce injury risk, but anybody who experiences mechanical back pain, hip, knee, ankle or foot problems can also be greatly helped by analysing the body’s biomechanics and gait.

Buy Securely Online

You can even buy your Biomechanics Assessment voucher online for yourself or possibly to treat a friend for Christmas or their birthday.  Your voucher will be e.mailed to you and all you need to do is call us to arrange your appointment.


Ski Orthotics

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The Sportsphysio.com provide custom built orthotics for your ski boots.

The majority of ski boots have a fairly neutral footbed but not everybody has a neutral foot.

ski boots

Custom built ski orthotics can help you get the best from your boots

When your feet are correctly aligned within your ski-boots, you will be better able to regulate your balance, distribute your weight evenly and have greater control of your skis.  This can result in a dramatic improvement in your skiing.

Muscular or skeletal imbalances which may not be noticeable when walking, become amplified when skiing.  The smallest movement from a leg, pelvis or spine will have a great impact on the position of your skis, often requiring large corrections by the body, resulting in unnecessary and awkward movements from the torso, shoulders and arms in order to maintain balance.

Poor foot/ski alignment places greater strain on the ligaments of the knee, the hip and lower spine.  Correcting the alignment reduces this strain and reduces the risk of injury.  This is even more important in beginners who need to concentrate all of their efforts on technique.

Specific ski orthotics are designed to support the foot and control problems such as pronation and supination.

Why Ski orthotics?

People can be forgiven for thinking that if they wear orthotics in their every day shoes and trainers, these orthotics will just transfer to their ski boots.

Unfortunately this is not the case and doing so may cause more problems than you started with.

Normal orthotics or corrective insoles are designed for our  general, walking standing or running gait.  However, when we ski, the weight has to be perfectly balanced with the bulk of the body weight shifted to the midfoot.

Feet are fixed in one position on the skis and movement is now controlled by our body position, rather than through the foot.  The foot is a complex collection of joints which articulate in many directions to allow us to walk.  In skiing, this movement is superfluous and indeed annoying, as even the smallest motion becomes amplified when transmitted through the skis.

Ski orthotics can only be custom fitted, the wide variance in foot types combined with ski boots makes off the shelf orthotics useless for this application.

Other snow sports orthotics

The Sportsphysio.com can also custom fit specialist orthotics for snow boarders, ice hockey and ice skates.

The Sportsphysio.com Ski Boot Clinic - provides a skilled ski boot alignment service to help you avoid injury and get the best from your ski boots.


New Orthotics Range in Store

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The Sportsphysio.com now has an excellent range of ready to wear orthotics online. Rightstride, who manufacture our custom build orthotic devices have brought out a unique range of ready to wear insoles, which we think are the closest thing to a custom build you are likely to find.

Rightstride Everyday orthotic

Rightstride Everyday orthotic

Extremely hard wearing and non bulky, these orthotics are ideal for people who are experiencing minor foot, ankle, knee or back pain when walking.

The choice of three different arch heights and sports orthotics makes this range, the one we recommend to our clinic clients.

At a fraction of the cost of custom build insoles, these orthotics are also exceptional value for money. Expect about two years of wear from one pair!

View the full range of Rightstride ready to wear orthotics and purchase direct from our secure online store.

Any pain in the foot or lower limb should always be diagnosed by a GP or specialist and whilst ready to wear orthotics may suit some people, the could worsen your condition.


Rightstride Sports Orthotics

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As sports injury practitioners, the demanding nature of sports and footwear limitations, makes for a challenging combination when prescribing orthotics.

Shock attenuation, functional control and support has to be able to be provided whilst maintaining flexibility with durability.

We at the Sportsphysio, have spent many months appraising manufacturers of orthotic devices and have found a range that can provide all of this, along with a high level of service and exceptional quality.

Rightstride manufacture state of the art orthotic devices and offer us the complete range from “ready to wear” to bespoke, custom build devices.

Find out more about our Rightstride orthotics range

Visit the Rightstride website


High Arches

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The high arch or Pes Cavus is represented by an abnormally high medial longitudinal arch.

Although less common than flat foot (Pes Planus), it is no less painful and in some cases can be more problematic.

There are Two types of high arch: Flexible and rigid.
The rigid or inflexible high arch will retain the high-arched appearance in both non weight bearing and weight bearing. This may also be referred to as a supinated foot.
The flexible high arch will appear more normal on weight bearing as the joints of the midfoot allow the foot to flex.

What causes a high arch?
There are a number of reasons why people may have high foot arches;

The condition may be inherited (congenital). Usually involving both feet (bilateral) and is evident from an early age.

In earlier years, there may be no symptoms due to the flexibility of the younger foot. However, as the body ages and joints become less flexible, these feet become painful and can also lead to pain and biomechanical problems in the lower limbs and back.

Trauma to the nerves of the foot or neuromuscular conditions such as Poliomyelitis and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease can be some of the reasons Pes Cavus appears in later years.

Symptoms

  • Heel or ball of foot (Metatarsal) pain.
  • Calluses and corns may appear on the ball of the foot where undue pressure is exerted.
  • Pain in ankles, knees, hips, hamstrings and low back due to poor shock absorption.
  • Haglund’s Deformity – Hard lumps at the back of the heel, often known as “pump bumps”.
  • Toes may appear clawed, as though they are grasping the ground.
  • Pain in the mid foot due to stress on the mid tarsal joints and Plantar Fasciitis.
  • Unstable ankle, resulting in frequent sprains.
  • Morton’s Neuroma – damage to the plantar nerves of the foot.

Treatment

  • Pes Cavus is not able to be prevented, so treatment is aimed at increasing flexibility of the midfoot where required and the use of prescriptive orthotics to support the arch and improve shock absorption by redistribution of weight.
  • Off the shelf orthotics are usually unsuitable, due to the complex nature of the problem.
  • Treatment of any corns and callouses to relieve pressure on the metatarsals.
  • Surgical correction may be required in the case of complications such as Morton’s Neuroma.

Your shoes should always have good arch support with plenty of room in the upper for the foot to flex. A well cushioned shoe will help to absorb impact.


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