Sports Injuries

A biomechanical assessment and gait analysis is a comprehensive examination of your body and the way you move with the aim of diagnosing a wide range of conditions.  It may  identify any underlying causes, which can be multi-factorial, that have made you more susceptible to disorders that cause pain, discomfort or injury.

An early diagnosis of an injury, along with a biomechanical assessment and treatment plan, can help with your rehabilitation and reduce the likelihood of recurring injuries.  For more information about biomechanical assessments and gait analysis see the Biomechanics page.

Causes of sports injuries

Risk factors that may contribute to injury include:

• previous injury
• muscle imbalance
• biomechanical problems
• technical errors and training errors; not warming up; pushing yourself too hard
• changes to training patterns, their volume and intensity
• changing to a different shoe or using the wrong footwear
• changing the surface that you are training or competing on and training on hard surfaces
• age; adolescents and older people can be particularly susceptible
• certain medical conditions

Children are more prone to certain types of sports injuries, especially during the period of rapid pubescent growth when they are often involved in intense physical activities. These injuries can result from various factors and a thorough diagnosis from an experienced podiatrist may help in reducing the likelihood their recurrence.  For more information about children's sports injuries see the Children page.

Treatment of sports injuries

Depending on the assessment, the nature and severity of your condition, your overall health and medical history, treatment may include:

PEACE & LOVE: A Protocol for Injury Management.

For the first approximately 24–72 hours, follow PEACE:

P – Protect E – Elevate A – Avoid anti-inflammatories C – Compress E – Educate

After the first few days, your injury needs LOVE:

L – Load O – Optimism V – Vascularisation E – Exercise

Speak to an experienced podiatrist or medical professional for a more detailed explanation of PEACE and LOVE.  

Other treatments can include:

• strengthening and stretching exercises
• preventive advice
• sports taping
• footwear advice
• medication
• an orthotic insole

An orthotic insole can be prescribed as a beneficial, non-invasive part of treatment.  An orthotic insole can provide support, help cushion and aligns foot structure to correct imbalances that aggravate the normal stresses and strains that vigorous activity can entail. It may help a sportsperson improve their performance by making exercise more mechanically and energy-efficient. See the Orthotic insoles page for more information about bespoke orthotic insoles.

In some cases, you may be referred for diagnostic imaging such as X-rays, MRI, or CT scans or a referral to another specialist for further investigations may be recommended.

For detailed information about fees for podiatry/chiropody appointments, biomechanical assessments, orthotics and nail surgery, see the Fees page.

Rachel is registered with most healthcare insurance providers, for information about claiming through your insurer, see the Fees page.

 Contact the Clinic for an appointment