Sport and MSK Podiatry

At MH Sports Podiatry, our Sport & Musculoskeletal (MSK) Assessment is designed to identify not only where pain is occurring, but why it has developed and what factors may be limiting performance, movement efficiency and long-term resilience. Whether you are a runner managing a persistent injury, an athlete returning to sport or an active individual looking to improve function, we use a comprehensive, evidence-informed assessment process to evaluate the mechanical, strength and load-related factors that influence both injury and performance. By understanding how the foot, ankle, knee, hip and pelvis work together under load, we can identify the underlying contributors to pain, inefficient movement and reduced athletic capacity.

Our assessment combines detailed clinical examination with objective biomechanical testing to provide a comprehensive understanding of how your body functions during walking, running and sport-specific movement. We assess joint mobility, tissue capacity, movement control, balance and loading strategies to identify the factors contributing to pain, injury or reduced performance. This allows us to move beyond symptom-based treatment and develop targeted management strategies based on the underlying causes of dysfunction.

Dynamic plantar pressure analysis evaluates how forces are distributed throughout the foot during walking and running. This allows us to assess loading patterns, pressure distribution and foot function, helping identify areas of excessive stress or inefficient force transfer that may contribute to injury, pain or reduced movement efficiency. Where appropriate, VALD testing can be integrated to objectively assess strength, power, force production and limb asymmetries. For injured athletes and active individuals, this provides valuable insight into tissue capacity, rehabilitation progress and return-to-sport readiness. By identifying deficits and compensatory strategies that may not be visible during clinical assessment alone, VALD testing helps guide rehabilitation and provides measurable benchmarks throughout recovery. 

By combining clinical expertise with objective biomechanical, strength and pressure analysis, we are able to develop highly individualised treatment plans that may include rehabilitation, load management, footwear advice, custom foot orthoses and return-to-run strategies. This integrated approach helps improve movement efficiency, reduce injury risk and support long-term musculoskeletal health and performance. By identifying the specific mechanical, physical and loading factors contributing to symptoms or limiting performance, interventions can be more precisely targeted to your individual needs and goals. Objective reassessment also allows progress to be monitored over time, ensuring treatment remains focused on delivering measurable improvements in function, resilience and athletic performance .

Where appropriate, additional technologies including 3D Gait Analysis can be incorporated to provide further insight into movement quality and tissue loading. By combining clinical expertise with objective data, we are able to monitor progress, quantify improvement and ensure treatment remains focused on improving performance, reducing injury risk and supporting long-term musculoskeletal health.