The interaction between the supporting surface and the foot can often be inappropriately ignored when considering the potential contributions to problems occurring further up the body.

Sports and musculoskeletal injuries of the lower extremity can be associated with the biomechanical function of the foot/lower limb. Biomechanics is the study of the mechanical principles which underpin how our bodies move and behave under different conditions and the subsequent stresses and strains which are placed on them. In certain instances these principles can be vital in addressing pain and dysfunction within the musculoskeletal system.

Did you know…

• When you run the pressure on your feet can be as much as 4 times your body weight
• Just a two-and-half inch heel can increase the load on the forefoot by 75%

What Do Podiatrists Do?

Podiatrists utilise an understanding and application of this knowledge to observe movements of the foot and lower limb, and the interactions at play with relevance to forces that are transmitted to your muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones. They aim to accurately identify the injured structure/s, the functional characteristics of a person which may have contributed to an injury, and then design patient specific treatment plans aimed at addressing the identified causes.

Their treatments centre on the vital interaction with the foot and the ground, so they will often look to manipulate forces here with a range of modalities. They utilise video motion software to provide an analysis of your movement patterns, and this allows them to make more objective assessments and determine if alterations underneath the foot are an appropriate intervention; this may range from simple advice on footwear through to the provision of custom made orthoses.

• Biomechanical Analysis
• Walking & Running Gait Analysis
• Footwear Prescription & Modification
• Custom and Pre-fabricated Orthoses

Our Podiatrists are not looking for an, “ideal”, or normal foot function, and they embrace variations between individuals. Instead their goal is to develop patient specific models of foot function and movement that decrease injury and pain occurring from inappropriate tissue loads, usually in the context of the presenting injury.

Podiatry focuses on introducing change at the foot and altering its subsequent influence on the lower limb (a ‘bottom up’ approach) but understanding this is only a piece of the puzzle and that many pathologies may also require a ‘top down’ approach is why our Sports Podiatrists work incredibly closely with our Physiotherapists and and other members of the multidisciplinary team at Pure Sports Medicine. They also benefit from the relationships we have with a vast network of external sports medicine practitioners.