What is biomechanics?

The way in which our bodies move is referred to as biomechanics. Biomechanics is unique to an individual and when there are discrepancies with an individual’s biomechanics, injuries and pain can occur. If an individual’s biomechanics are irregular and a joint is under excessive pressure (for example whilst walking or running) it will cause other structures to compensate for the abnormality which over time, can lead to an injury. A lot of pain (including back, hip, leg and foot pain) can be attributed to discrepancies in individual biomechanics and is a very important aspect of podiatry. Podiatrists are trained to be able to determine alignment variations throughout the entire torso and lower limbs and are able to assess the biomechanics of children, teenagers, adults and athletes.

• Adjusting and modifying footwear
• Orthotic therapy (prefabricated or custom)
• The use of stretching and strengthening programs

If you have private health insurance and you are covered for extras including podiatry, most likely the answer is yes. You need to contact you private health insurance fund to confirm that they are covered under your current policy.

As you can imagine, your feet change as your body does. When you grow in height or your weight changes, different pressures are exerted in different areas of the foot and varying with force. That is why it is important to see your podiatrist every 12 months for a check-up.