The way bones are shaped, joints move and muscles and soft tissues function dynamically contribute to the way we walk and move and they are unique to each individual. During a biomechanical assessment, the joints, muscles and other soft tissues of the lower limb are assessed, with particular detail to areas of pain.
During this assessment, the shape of bones, movement of joints and function of muscles, plus much more, are noted in non-weight-bearing and weight-bearing in order to understand possible causes of pain or dysfunction.
The biomechanical assessment is a more static assessment and will also incorporate special tests, for instance of the nervous system or around specific structures such as joints and tendons, to ascertain their strength and stability and, of course, to determine if they are causative of your issue.
What is noted in the biomechanical assessment will also form part of a ‘prescription’ if providing foot orthoses or braces and forms part of a ‘clinical gait analysis’ assessment, which is made up of comprehensive history taking, biomechanical assessment and video gait analysis.
