GAIT SCAN & ORTHOTICS

HOW CAN CUSTOM ORTHOTICS HELP?

Our feet are the foundations of our body, controlling the alignment of our knees, hips and importantly our spine. In most cases the feet are overlooked, however they are infact the most important starting point to long term, pain free living. Poor foot mechanics, which are often undiagnosed, can often be the sole cause of back, hip and knee pain, leading in many cased to excessive wear and tear on the joints, later on requiring surgery or joint replacement. The most common comments we hear are ‘hip replacements and arthritis run in my family’. However, in many cases it is poor foot mechanics and joint alignment that have damaged the joints, rather than it being an hereditary problem.

Here at The Windmill Clinic, we use our expert knowledge of the body and years of experience along with the cutting edge technology of GAITSCAN™ to tailor your prescription orthotics specifically for your unique anatomy and gait pattern to help keep you healthy, active and doing the things that you love.

WHY IS GAITSCAN™ ANALYSIS SO IMPORTANT?

Your foot is in contact with the ground for less than one second, making it nearly impossible to determine abnormal foot function with the naked eye. This is why here at The Windmill Clinic we use GAITSCAN™ as part of a comprehensive gait analysis. This cutting edge technology provides critical information to determine if you will benefit from prescription orthotics.

What is involved?

Step 1: Physical examination

Your healthcare professional will perform an examination while you are standing, walking and sitting. This allows an overview of the alignment, movement and muscle function of the lower limbs.

Step 2: GAITSCAN™ Computerised Analysis

As you walk across the GAITSCAN™ pressure plate, over one million data points are collected. This data will provide insight into the unique timing and pressure of your gait that cannot be seen with the naked eye and will indicate whether you will benefit from a prescription orthotic. This data also creates a dynamic cast of each foot and eliminates the need for plaster or foam casting.

STEP 3: Diagnosis and Prescription

Your practitioner will discuss your examination and scan results with you and will make a recommendation based on those findings. If your feet are having a negative impact on the way you stand, walk or run, prescription orthotics would be indicated. Your bespoke orthotics are made specifically for you to meet your unique and individual biomechanical needs.

ORTHOTICS FOR CHILDREN

• Have you or someone else noticed that your child walks strangely?
• Does your child complain of foot, ankle, leg, knee, hip or back pain?
• Does your child suffer with ‘growing pains’?

If you can say ‘yes’ to any of those questions, it is likely that your child could benefit from custom or semi-custom orthotics.

Natural, balanced biomechanical movement is essential for growing children to thrive and enjoy all that life has to offer. However many of our children have difficulties with flat feet, high arches and hypermobility amongst other issues which often go un-noticed or undiagnosed. Sadly this can cause biomechanical imbalances, straining some joints and soft tissues, whilst weakening others. Over time, these problems can lead to more serious/ongoing musculoskeletal problems such as osteoarthritis, plantarfasciitis and tendinitis etc.

By identifying and helping to correct these issues from a young age, children have the best possible chance of leading an active, healthy and pain free life, whilst potentially avoiding or limiting problems such as osteoarthritis due to uneven wear and tear in later life.

Biomechanical and GAITSCAN™ analysis is recommended from the age of six years onwards. Semi-custom orthotics are usually prescribed for children where indicated until the ages of 14-16. These are an excellent and affordable way of providing support and biomechanical correction whilst a child is rapidly growing. From around 14 years onwards for girls and around 16 years onwards for boys, fully custom orthotics are recommended (as long as the child’s shoe size has remained the same for 18 months or more and their height has begun to stabilise). By this age, a child will benefit more from fully bespoke orthotics.