Gait Analysis & Bio Mechanical Health Assessments

If you have pain in the feet, knees, hips, or lower back then you would benefit from a biomechanical assessment.

So What is Gait Analysis?

Our gait is simply the way in which we move our whole body from one point to another. Gait analysis is a method we use to assess the way our patients walk or run, helping us to assess if there are any biomechanical abnormalities present.

Having the ability to move efficiently and having a “good”, “normal”, “neutral”, or “fluid”, gait is important in avoiding injuries. It is crucial to have joints capable of providing good quality and direction of movement, as well as having muscles capable of producing sufficient force to generate an efficient gait cycle.

If a joint is stiff, whether due to trauma, tight muscles, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or indeed any other condition that affects the joints, then the body must find ways of compensating for the problem. This compensation can ultimately lead to biomechanical deformities.

So what happens in the clinic?

Gait analysis usually involves walking or running along a long corridor where the podiatrist will be observing the feet, knees, hips, spine, and shoulders, all the way up to the position of the head. Gait analysis is useful to all people and sometimes a change in footwear will be enough to aid in injury prevention, but it’s not until we analyse your gait that we can analyse the source of the issue.

Types of injuries that are associated with poor gait biomechanics:

  1. Shin splints
  2. Planter fasciitis
  3. Runners knee
  4. Jumpers knee
  5. Patella-femoral knee pain
  6. Achilles tendonitis
  7. Lower back pain

Our findings from gait analysis may indicate that you would benefit from an orthotic, also known as an insole or a shoe insert.

So what is an Orthotic?

Ortho originates from the Greek which means to “straighten” or “align”. Orthotics are placed in shoes and are engineered to eliminate discomfort, making standing, walking and running more comfortable and efficient. They are designed to control foot functions by correcting walking imbalances known as biomechanical abnormalities in your foot and ankle. You can find out more about our manufacturing of orthotics here.

Shin splints

How Can We Help?

Follow the form below to get through directly to one of our Podiatrists at the practice or to request an appointment.

Or call — 01444 453874

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
34 Sussex Road, Haywards Heath, Sussex RH16 4EA

We are trusted by our clients

Amy's been extremely helpful, informative and lovely to talk to during my foot appointment the last few visits. 100% recommend their services.
Darryl Rebbetts
Darryl Rebbetts
26/10/2022
Have had scan and chiropodist treatments and both were carried out with care and I was informed what would be done. I would highly recommend the Sussex foot centre for treatments.
Sheila Stobbs
Sheila Stobbs
15/10/2022
I was misdiagnosed by my GP after injuring myself long distance walking. Now I not only know what's wrong with me, but also how to remedy it so I can walk again. Great attention to detail. Thank you 😊
Liz Platt
Liz Platt
09/10/2022
Fantastic experience with the whole practice, there’s no where I’d trust more. Originally I went to have one issue sorted out, and have found another to be dealt with alongside. A practice where you feel listened to and taken seriously. Thanks again!
Nikki Martin
Nikki Martin
07/10/2022
Had an appointment with Jon Collins about a sore heel. Had a scan on both heels, which was followed by a detailed analysis of the results and an explanation (in layman's terms) what the issue was. Very impressed with his knowledge, how it was imparted and happy with our agreed action plan.
Jonathan Whitnall
Jonathan Whitnall
25/09/2022
Over the last 4 years or so, I have visited a number of professionals including physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths. I was experiencing recurring injuries in my left knee and hip from sports and from attempting to walk mid-distances. The pain was starting to flare in my back too. I was following the physiotherapists’ advice religiously and attending appointments regularly. However, the programme of exercises tended to make the pain worse rather than better. To add to my frustration, I was also misdiagnosed with a hip condition. In the back of my mind, I always felt there was something biomechanically incorrect in the way I move but I was reassured that was not the case until…..I booked an appointment with Jon at Sussex Foot Centre for a gait assessment. Jon quickly recognised the issue with my feet and their incorrect positioning. I was prescribed custom orthotics and after a few months of perfecting these, Jon then created my semi-permanent pair of orthotics. I have been walking further than I have done and am now back on the courts playing tennis, which I love, and never thought I would be able to do again. The whole team at Sussex Foot Centre are very helpful and efficient. My treatment is ongoing so as long as Jon is a podiatrist, I am his patient :) Thank you for everything!
Katherine Morley
Katherine Morley
22/09/2022
I had nail surgery last October and after all this time I can say it was worth it. Jon didn’t rush me into it and gave me all options available, in the end I decided to go for the surgery and Jon made it so easy and everything was explained to me before, during and afterwards. Any questions I had were always answered by Jon or one of his team and put my mind at rest (I’m a bit of a worrier). Can’t thank them enough for helping with something that I had tried to ignore for years.
Gavin Robertson
Gavin Robertson
01/09/2022
I highly recommend Sussex foot centre. I booked an appointment for the shoe insoles and Jon was very helpful and professional. He provided a great solution for me and I feel much better since I wear my new insoles. The entire team is also very nice and helpful with booking the appointments around my work schedule.
Michał Piotrowski
Michał Piotrowski
22/07/2022
After the NHS screwed up my ingrown toenail operation twice this year I decided to go private and it was the best decision. I was seen really quickly and toes healed within a couple of weeks, highly recommend sussex foot centre.
Lauryn Spink
Lauryn Spink
22/07/2022