Gait Analysis – what is it and why is it useful?

Biomechanics like Gait Analysis are about the way your body moves and how your lower limb and foot movements can affect you.

Think of your feet as the foundation of your body. If your feet are misaligned or roll too far one way or another, your body compensates for this by changing the way your foot, knee, hip or lower back behave. Over time this change can cause pain to the lower limb and lower back.

Common symptoms related to poor biomechanics include:

• Foot pain
• Heel pain or arch pain
• Knee pain, hip pain or lower back pain
• Flat feet
• Toe deformities such as bunions and hammertoes

The most effective treatment for correcting poor foot posture is custom orthotics or insoles. Orthotics are suitable for people of all ages and because they are bespoke to your foot, offer the exact correction required to realign your foot and aid its normal function.

Children & Teenagers – Young children can suffer from flat feet if their arches do not develop correctly by the age of 6-8 years. Being constantly active, children place a host of demands on their growing feet and legs and can complain of many symptoms common to adults.

Adults – You will walk about 100,000 miles in your lifetime, so minor misalignments in your feet can cause pain in your foot, ankle, knee, hip, or lower back. Incorrect or uncomfortable footwear can further aggravate poor biomechanics.

Athletes – Sports that place stress on the foot, ankle, and knees such as running, football, rugby, and hockey require specialist orthotics that not only fit you, but accommodate the special movements, positions, and forces encountered for your particular sport.

Don’t ignore foot pain. If you suffer from any kind of foot pain, knee pain, hip pain or lower back pain call us to book a consultation or at our clinics in Devizes, Marlborough & Frome.