Podiatry
Introduction
It is very important to look after your feet, whether you are 8 or 80. The average person takes between 8,000 and 10,000 steps every day – this is equivalent to several miles! If your feet are not functioning quite as effectively as they were designed for, a small problem can escalate with every step.
Walking awkwardly can have a compensatory effect on other joints, especially knees and hips. By visiting a podiatrist at The Partnership, you can help keep your feet and legs in good walking order.
Biomechanical assessment
Biomechanics involves analysing the reaction of the ground forces on the lower limb and their connection and involvement with the rest of the body. This reaction can cause the feet to become misaligned with the lower leg resulting in overuse or wear and tear on joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles.
The provision of orthotics
Once your problem has been identified, the ground reaction needs to be controlled in order to reduce the symptoms they are causing. This is achieved by fitting a custom-made ‘orthosis (or insole) into your footwear.
An orthotic fitted inside your daily footwear realigns the leg, releasing excessive force from certain joints including the ankles, knees, hips and back, as well as specific muscles and tendons.
Footwear and exercise advice
An assessment of your footwear is also included. Your shoes will need to accommodate the orthotics which have been prescribed for you. We will also review your daily exercises to see which are more suitable for your and make suggestions to improve your exercise routine.
To provide an advanced diagnostic assessment, we use state of the art digital technology to analyse your gait and the ground reaction forces it creates. A Lazer scanner then takes a 3D image of your feet to produce a highly accurate and consistent pair of orthotics.
