What to expect from a Musculoskeletal Assessment at Undefeeted Podiatry

You may have experienced pain in your foot and ankle before and thought, "Where do I go or who do I see to treat this?"

A doctor may be the first thought that goes through your head, but in fact, it is probably easier to go see a podiatrist directly; it is wonderful to get a specialist in that area of our unique human body.

Now you may be thinking, how is someone who cuts nails for a living going to help me with my pain?!

Well, we do much more than just that!  We have been trained extensively in assessing the lower body to diagnose and develop treatment plans for a range of musculoskeletal conditions.

A typical Musculoskeletal assessment consists of a thorough examination of the structure, alignment and function of the lower limbs. The idea is to identify any abnormalities or imbalances that could be leading to pain or discomfort. It involves a range of functional testing, diagnostic imaging and clinical examination.

‍History taking

‍We first take a comprehensive subjective history of our patients to ensure we know all the information about the injury before we start treating. This is incredibly important to give us some clues about what it is you may be dealing with!

‍Range of motion testing

‍Our practitioners go through all the major joints in your foot and ankle to accurately determine if there are any restrictions or excessive movement that could be contributing to your pain.  Joint range of motion is vital to the function and mobility of our foot and ankle.  If there are any limitations or restrictions, there could be other structures that could be overloaded.

‍Muscle testing

‍This involves you as the client, performing basic movements to help us evaluate the strength and capacity of certain muscles within your feet and lower limbs.  If particular tissues within your foot are on the weaker side, it could mean they aren't strong enough to withstand the load going through them - resulting in pain.

‍GAIT Scan Analysis

‍This is the part where we get you doing a couple of laps up and down the "catwalk".  This allows us to inspect any malalignments or areas that are being overloaded.  We also have GAIT Scanning technology to clearly outline those high pressure areas and easily convey them to our patients.  This makes it very clear on where we can help improve your walking and running.  In addition to this, we also utilise our GAIT treadmill to be able to assess running patterns if needed.  All of this is incredibly useful in evaluating treatment plans.

‍Dynamic Assessments

‍We put you through your paces by evaluating certain types of dynamic movements such as calf raises and squats to be able to determine pain thresholds and tissue capacity.  Based off this we can evaluate baseline values and strategize how best to progressively overload the tissues within your foot and ankle.

‍Footwear Assessment

‍Our podiatrists thoroughly examine all your footwear to determine if they are appropriate for your condition or if there is a better option out there to suit your needs.  You'd be surprised how much of an effect that good footwear has on pain levels.

All of the testing above helps us create a patient-centred treatment plan utilising all of our high-tech equipment, to help improve your outcomes.