Gait Analysis

Do you suffer from?

Bunions	Calluses	Corns
Hammer Toes	Heel Spur	Metatarsalgia
Morton’s Neuroma	Plantar Fasciitis	Bakers Cyst
Flat Feet	High Arches

What about . . .

Ankle Pain	Shin Splints	Knee Pain
Hip Problems	Migraines	Achilles Tendonitis
Calf Pain	Leg and thigh pain / Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Are you aware that ALL of these conditions may have a common link?

Remember that old song - “your foot bone is connected to your ankle bone …”? Well, what the song forgot to tell us is that the nervous system is connected as well. You might well ask what has all this to do with my pain.

Your Feet

With the foot being made up of 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles and tendons, you can see that the human foot is a complex piece of natural engineering. It combines both mechanical intricacy with structural strength but if any of these components are not working at optimal efficiency, problems are going to develop.

Walking

Taking this a step further, it is estimated that during your life your feet will carry you an average of four times around the globe - 115,000 miles and with every one of these steps, around 1 ½ times your body's entire weight lands on your feet.

With all this pressure, if your feet and legs aren't aligned and working correctly and efficiently, you will experience pain or problems either in your feet, or further up the kinetic chain in your knees, hips, back or neck.

Get to the Root Cause

One of the main reasons for the body’s skeletal system is to keep the head and therefore the brain in an upright, level position. If the body is not balanced, it has an amazing ability to compensate but eventually, it will cry out in the only way it knows - pain. If your feet and how you walk are not 100% correct, no amount of manipulations or rebalancing will work. Such treatment may have an effect for a short time but as you have not resolved the underlying problem, the pain will come back. Rather like papering or painting over damp – unless you get to the root cause of the problem, it will return. Logical and simple really!

Hereditary

Feet problems are mainly hereditary and unfortunately, over 75% of the population have problems with or caused by their feet - yet less than 2% do anything about it.

The Solution

The solution to these various aches and pains can be so much simpler than people appreciate, foot orthotics. 21st Century orthotics are an insole type device, computer designed and prescriptive made, specifically for you and your condition. They are high tech, small, slim, comfortable and easy to use with existing shoes.

Doctors, scientists and physiotherapists know that with proper prescriptive orthotics, many problems with the feet, legs and back can be remedied. Going back to that old song, if the kinetic chain from your feet up to your ankle and then the rest of the body is corrected, then your problems can be remedied. Simple really!

Orthotics

Foot orthotics are specially designed shoe inserts which help restore the natural position of the foot and prevent damaging compensation in other joints, muscles and ligaments. They can therefore reduce or eliminate pain. It is of course hugely important to address other factors that may be contributing to symptoms, e.g. muscle tightness, joint flexibility and reduced proprioception (basically how your feet communicate with the brain) and this is where a fully experienced biomechanical specialist is necessary.

Prescription orthotics, realign and support the feet enabling them to function normally, effectively and optimally however, there is a secret to making these.

The Secret to Accurate Orthotics

The secret is simple - accurate measurements must be taken. In the past, your therapist relied on judgement and “eyeballing” but could they really see or measure a 1/2 degree or 1 degree variance? It is the power of the modern day computer that provides the required accuracy.

Again and in the past, doctors and chiropodists relied on plaster or foam casts to be made of the feet however, these casts only captured the feet at rest. This is the same for the so called modern method of using laser beams as a measuring tool but obviously, it is when the feet bear weight and are in motion that problems occur thus making these systems obsolete.

21st Century Orthotics

Technology makes accurate orthotics simple

With specialised software and harnessing the power of the 21st century computer, it is now possible to measure every aspect of foot posture, balance and gait (how you walk). Using the information gathered by the computer, a detailed report on how you walk will be generated which can be used to create unique, slim-line, comfortable and multi-shoe compatible orthotics. Sport specific orthotics can also be produced and for those patients with special needs and who need extra care such as the diabetic or arthritic sufferer, specific orthotics can also be manufactured.

Modern Pressure Mat

Whilst simple on the outside, the modern analytical system is designed so that you walk across a computerised pressure mat that is connected to a computer. The mat has 2304 sensors built into it that scans your feet at up to 200 times per second. As you walk, the pressure mat captures the motion and timing of your foot throughout the gait cycle with incredible accuracy. This data is then analysed by the computer and produces instant 2D and 3D images on the screen. Sophisticated diagnostic software then specifies the prescription for your customised orthotics which your biomechanical specialist can have tailored specifically for your condition, weight, sport etc.

As well as analysing gait (how you walk), posture and balance are also analysed in video or static form and help both the detailed clinical analysis and the patient’s understanding of their underlying condition.

We can use the technology to provide real time information regarding balance and posture thus allowing us to explain and explore how the feet affect the kinetic chain and importantly, how these problems can be resolved. These scans can help identify the need for balance and strength training with a view to improving postural and/or balance control. This technology therefore allows us multiple ways of examining and explaining how your feet contribute to your problems.

We can also provide comparative information from previous scans and can utilise this to monitor your progress. Interestingly, we can also provide instant feedback to determine the efficacy of any existing foot supports you may have.

By combining all this information and in conjunction with our own detailed clinical analysis, we will have a full and clear picture of the issues that need resolving and specific information to create prescriptive orthotics tailored to solve your exact issues.

Over-The-Counter Orthotics

Insoles that can be purchased “over-the-counter” should not be confused with prescription made orthotics. These “over-the-counter” insoles may give some initial relief but as they usually only partly solve one area of concern, they also frequently fail as they do not properly control the full foot function. In essence, they may contribute to more problems than they solve.

Video Analysis

To help further understand and analyse how you walk, Video Gait Analysis can be utilised. Video-recording how you walk helps to analyse and easily describe your condition. The process involves simply walking on a treadmill for a short period during which time you are videoed, usually from the waist down to your feet. We can study this video, in slow motion if required to observe all the subtle, yet crucial movements your feet make. It is the understanding and detection of these movements which facilitates the successful treatment plans needed to ensure that your knees, hips or back move more efficiently and painlessly.

We can also show the difference in biomechanical efficiency when walking or running in corrected footwear, with “before and after” videos playing side by side on the computer screen and we can take rear views to look at the entire kinetic chain.

Special Needs Patients

Diabetic and Arthritic patients need to take extra precautions when it comes to foot care due to the complications associated with these conditions. Corrective prescription orthotics can be tailor made specifically for at risk groups.

Download a PDF of some of the specialised orthotics for at risk groups

Keeping you in your Sport.

There is a line of orthotics specifically designed with the athlete in mind so no matter your sport, there is an orthotic to help your performance whether you are a weekend or professional golfer, footballer through to a jogger or marathon runner.

Download a PDF of some of the specialised orthotics for sport

Common Pathologies

For those wishing a more technical analysis, please view the following PDFs provided by Footmaxx, who are the providers of our up to date Pressure Mat: