What to expect with your Biomechanical Examinations

APPOINTMENT

When you attend our clinics for your biomechanical assessment please arrive at least 10 minutes early so you can complete the relevant patient details forms. Your assessment will take approximately 45 minutes.

Please bring:

  • Shorts or tights, and clothing suitable for your examination.
  • Current (and old if you have them) sports shoes, including running, cycling, netball, tennis etc. and even ski boots if they are relevant to your concerns. Please DO NOT buy new shoes before your appointment, as we often provide footwear recommendations as part of the management plan. The wrong shoes can be unsuitable for some people and lessen the effectiveness of some clinical programs.
  • Relevant scans.
  • Referral letter if you have one (a referral isn’t necessary, but many patients are referred by physios and doctors).

THE ASSESSMENT – what to expect

At Sydney Sports Podiatry, we pride ourselves on looking at “The Big Picture.” Sometimes called a holistic approach, we aim to identify the factors contributing to your condition. Too often we see previous clinical approaches where the focus is too much on just addressing the symptoms without identifying the underlying cause.

We collect a detailed history from you of events and activities that may have contributed to your current injury or discomfort.

We then observe your entire standing posture for asymmetry, assess your strength and range of motion through joints and measure your legs and feet  to screen for leg length differences, twists and torsions in your leg and foot structure.

We assess your walking and/or running gait recorded using Dartfish for slow motion analysis on replay.

We assess your existing shoes (and old orthotics if you already have them) for telling wear and tear that frequently reveals the big picture of what is going on and what may be contributing to your mechanical load.

And finally, we will develop a management program that may involve stretching, strengthening, balance training, running technique advice, footwear recommendations, and either over-the-counter or prescription orthotics when clinically indicated.