Musculo-Skeletal Assessment

What is it?

In a Musculo-Skeletal assessment we examine the way your lower limbs work. We check for abnormalities and possible causes of pain in the foot, ankle, knee and back

Why might you need one?

• Very few people, if any, are completely symmetrical and this affects the way that people stand and move.
• Differences in leg length, unusually high or low arches, or injuries can all put extra pressure on joints, ligaments and tendons. This can result in people suffering pain when they move or simply stand.
• Once the causes of this pain are established we can recommend a variety of treatments, including exercise therapy, advice on footwear and provision of insoles to correct foot posture (the medical term is “orthotics”)
• Conditions we commonly treat are plantar fasciitis, Morton's neuroma, bunions, heel spurs, metatarsalgia, tendonitis, pain on the outside edge of the foot and osteoarthritis in the joints.

What’s involved in the Musculo-Skeletal Assessment?

Preparation:

• Remember to bring your everyday shoes and trainers
• Bring shorts to allow us to better assess you

Assessment:

• Review existing medical conditions and medication
• Non weight-bearing assessment of muscle and joint flexibility and movement
• Static assessment of stance and foot posture whilst standing
• Dynamic gait analysis whilst walking
• Analysis supported by use of FootscanTM pressure mat technology to create a 3D image of the pressure areas in the weight-bearing foot, showing the centre of pressures and gait line.
• A combination of this analysis and clinical observation allows us to assess limb length discrepancies and the foot in motion.
• Ultrasound scans are available - a subsequent appointment will be booked if a scan is required to aid diagnosis.

Treatments:

• Exercise therapy
• Footwear advice
• Provision of insoles to correct foot posture
• Review appointment, typically after six weeks
• Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT)