Your feet support your entire body, so that any imbalance can affect your ankles, knees, hips, and lower back. A biomechanical assessment assesses how your feet and legs move during walking, standing, and daily activities. This helps us identify the cause of pain or overload and recommend ways to improve your movement.
Benefits of Our Biomechanical Assessments
By identifying issues such as poor alignment, reduced strength, limited mobility or excessive pressure, we can recommend treatments that relieve pain, improve comfort and prevent further problems.
Some of the main benefits include improved joint alignment, better weight distribution, reduced strain on the lower back and hips, and long-term support for walking and activity. When the feet function well, the entire body moves more efficiently and with less effort.
What You Need to Know About Biomechanical Assessments
A biomechanical foot assessment helps identify:
- How your feet absorb shock
- Whether your arches are flat, high or unstable
- If your ankles roll in or out excessively
- Whether pressure is uneven across the foot
- How your body compensates for weakness or stiffness
- Why certain joints or muscles are overworking
When the feet are not functioning well, other areas of the body often take on extra strain. Over time, this can contribute to pain in the knees, hips, pelvis or lower back. The goal of the assessment is to understand these compensations and guide treatment that supports balance and efficiency.
Who Benefits Most?
You may benefit if you:
- Feel your feet roll in or out
- Have flat or high arches
- Experience repeated pain when walking or standing
- Notice pressure building on one side of the body
- Feel “lopsided” or unbalanced when walking
- Have bunions, recurring corns or calluses
- Experience new or long-term pain in the legs, knees, hips or lower back
- Have an occupation or sport involving repetitive movement
Many people also book an assessment as a preventative measure. Identifying imbalances early can reduce the risk of future pain or overuse injuries.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
A biomechanical foot assessment is helpful if you experience symptoms such as:
- Ongoing heel or arch pain
- Fatigue in the feet or legs
- Frequent rolling in (pronation) or rolling out (supination)
- Difficulty finding comfortable footwear
We begin by discussing your symptoms, the activities you perform each day, and any changes you’ve noticed over time. Understanding your lifestyle helps us determine how your feet are handling the load they bear.
Biomechanical Assessment Treatment
A complete biomechanical assessment involves both static and dynamic testing to understand how your body behaves during movement. At Highett Podiatry, this process is structured, clear and designed to give you a complete picture of your foot and leg function.
Static Assessments
This part of the assessment focuses on how your feet and legs look and behave when you are standing still. It may include:
- A non-weight-bearing anatomical exam
- Muscle strength testing
- Weight-bearing posture evaluation
- Resting or neutral heel position
- Foot Posture Index
- Range of motion tests for the ankle, knee and hip
These tests help us identify structural patterns, such as flat feet, high arches, stiff ankles, or leg-length differences.
Dynamic Assessments
Movement reveals things static tests can’t. We assess:
- Walking patterns
- Running mechanics, if relevant
- How the foot loads during each step
- Strength and postural control during movement
- Gait timing and symmetry
We use video gait analysis technology, including Coach’s Eye. This allows you to see your own walking pattern, making it easier to understand what is happening and why certain areas may be under strain.
How It Works
Every podiatry biomechanical assessment follows a structured process:
Consultation
We begin by discussing your symptoms, activity levels and medical history. This helps us understand how long the issue has been present and what factors may be contributing.
Diagnosis
Based on the static and dynamic tests, we identify the underlying cause of your symptoms. This may be related to foot posture, muscle weakness, joint stiffness or movement patterns.
Treatment Plan
Your treatment plan may include:
- Footwear assessments and advice
- Strengthening or mobility exercises
- Activity modification
- Orthotics
- Balance and stability work
- Addressing compensations through targeted treatment
Everything is tailored to your daily activity, comfort and long-term goals.
Follow-Up
We review your progress and adjust your treatment plan as needed. Many people benefit from occasional reassessments, especially if symptoms change or activity levels increase.
Long-Term Support
We help you maintain comfortable, efficient movement by supporting healthy foot mechanics, alignment and strength.
This process ensures your treatment remains aligned with your needs and daily lifestyle.
Why Choose Us?
Our biomechanical assessments draw on detailed testing, clinical experience and a strong understanding of how the foot influences the rest of the body. You’ll benefit from:
- A clear explanation of your results
- Video gait analysis
- Recommendations tailored to work, home and sport
- Integration with other services such as orthotics, skin and nail care, footwear advice and injury rehabilitation
- A treatment plan that supports long-term comfort and mobility
Whether you’re dealing with recurring pain or simply want to understand your foot mechanics better, our assessments offer clear answers and practical guidance.
If you’re dealing with pain or imbalance, we can help identify the cause and improve your movement. Contact us or book an appointment today.