Our gait patterns are distinct biometrics, much like fingerprints, and altering how your body moves requires daily retraining, prescribed exercises and other interventions to strengthen weak muscles. However, how can you ensure you’re accurately targeting the right gait imbalances?
The RehaWalk Gait System, the latest technology available at The Foot Practice, features thousands of sensors to capture the nuances of your movement patterns precisely. This allows our team to identify any gait imbalances accurately, address the underlying dysfunction, prevent further injuries and help you perform smarter.
Post-Surgical Rehabilitation and Retraining
Utilising detailed gait diagnostics, our podiatrist can tailor post-surgical rehabilitation programs for patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery on the foot, ankle, or other lower limb areas. This personalised approach aids in the recovery of strength, flexibility, and mobility more effectively.
Through monitoring and adjustments, these programmes ensure that each step in the recovery process builds towards full rehabilitation, optimising the healing timeline and enhancing the overall outcome. It facilitates a smooth and secure transition back to everyday activities.
Management of Chronic Conditions and Musculoskeletal Dysfunctions
Advanced pressure-sensing technology can uncover specific walking or running pattern abnormalities that exacerbate chronic conditions. Once these specific gait abnormalities are identified, customised rehabilitation programmes can be developed with a dual focus: alleviating the immediate pain experienced by the patient and addressing the underlying biomechanical issues at play. This crucial step allows a deep understanding of how specific gait characteristics may place undue stress in conditions such as plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, or flat feet.
For instance, someone suffering from plantar fasciitis might benefit from exercises designed to stretch and strengthen the plantar fascia and surrounding muscles, coupled with changes to their walking pattern to reduce stress on the heel. Similarly, a patient with Achilles tendinitis may require a rehabilitation plan that includes eccentric strengthening exercises for the calf muscles alongside modifications to their gait to decrease the load. For those with flat feet, support may come in the form of orthoses designed based on their specific gait analysis and exercises to strengthen the arch-supporting muscles.
Balance and Stability Enhancement for Elderly Patients
Elderly patients and those with conditions like diabetes-related neuropathy benefit from rehabilitation technologies featuring dynamic visual cueing and feedback. These tools enhance proprioception and balance, which is important for reducing fall risks.
Neuropathy diminishes foot sensation, impairing balance. Visual feedback helps patients adjust their gait and posture in real time, strengthening neural pathways for better balance and coordination. This approach significantly improves mobility and independence, making it a valuable component of fall prevention strategies for at-risk individuals.
Performance Optimisation for Athletes
Athletes aiming not just for injury recovery but for performance enhancement can significantly benefit from this sophisticated analysis that goes beyond mere recovery. It lets athletes precisely fine-tune their gait, optimising every step for maximum efficiency and minimal energy wastage.
By dissecting and understanding the nuances of their movement patterns, athletes can make precise adjustments to how they walk or run, leading to noticeable improvements in overall running efficiency. It also serves as a preventive measure against the common pitfall of overuse injuries.
Athletes often push their bodies to the limit. They are at risk of overuse injuries without understanding how their movement patterns may contribute to stress and strain on specific muscles or joints. Through regular pressure sensing analysis, athletes gain insights into any biomechanical imbalances or inefficiencies that, if unaddressed, could lead to injuries. By proactively correcting these issues, athletes can enhance their performance and significantly reduce their risk of injury.
Custom Orthoses and Footwear Recommendations
Through the analysis of pressure distribution and foot movement, the system offers invaluable insights into the biomechanical aspects of a patient’s walk or run. This level of detail enables our podiatrists to make highly accurate recommendations suited to your feet. For patients requiring additional support, custom orthoses can be designed with precision to align, support or improve the foot’s function based on the unique findings from their gait analysis.
Furthermore, this technology assists in selecting specific types of footwear designed to complement the patient’s foot structure and gait pattern. Unlike off-the-shelf options, these recommendations consider the nuances of each patient’s movement against their preferred footwear, ensuring that the footwear fits comfortably and enhances walking or running efficiency. This can be particularly beneficial for athletes seeking to optimise performance or individuals recovering from injury and looking to avoid future issues.
Discover your Gait Biometrics
Integrating advanced technologies like the RehaWalk Gait System in podiatry clinics opens new avenues for diagnosing, treating, and preventing a broad spectrum of foot and lower limb conditions. By offering a deeper insight into the mechanics of movement, the system provides personalised data to devise more effective management of foot and lower limb conditions, setting patients on a faster path to recovery and improved quality of life.
If you’re ready to experience The Foot Practice difference, schedule an initial consultation today to start your path to optimal whole-body health.
