Gait Analysis and Insoles Prescription

Everybody has an individual walking and running style so understanding our gait analysis can help in choosing the correct footwear, to tell us whether insoles are required or if there is a need for flexibility, strength and conditioning training.

Your gait can be determined by the way your foot strikes and leaves the floor with each stride you make. It is comprised of the following five phases:

1. Stance: When your foot first strikes the ground.
2. Loading: From when your heel hits the ground to the moment your forefoot touches down.
3. Mid-stance: The point at which your heel starts to lift and the forefoot flexes.
4. Toe-off: When your foot leaves the ground.
5. Swing: The time between your foot leaving the ground and touching it again.

At PMC Physio we are the first physiotherapy clinic in Ireland to use cutting edge gait analysis and insole prescription technology to allow us measure your foot in motion and prescribe a fully bespoke orthotic to help you return to pain free movement and sport.

Phits Insoles have been developed by the famed RunnersLab in Belgium and have been used by everyone, from Olympic medallists to hill walkers. We are delighted to bring this objective measurement technology to our patients to complete a thorough gait assessment using our Footscan technology.

When you come in for footscan assessment the first step is to measure your exact foot size in both the left and right foot as often there can be a slight difference in sizes. We then measure your current shoes. Next you walk barefoot back and forth naturally over the footscan floor-matt. Almost 4,000 sensors per square foot with capture your unique gait pattern.

We will then analyse the 2D and 3D visualisation of peak pressures and center of pressure with automatic allocation of 10 anatomical zones. This objective measurement and analysis will determine the custom design of your 3D printed orthotics. Design parameters include stiffness direction and navicular support. The technology allows for local stiffness in different zones of the insoles with integration of heel pad, heel offset and heel wedge.

Your insoles are then 3D printed using state of the art printers and materials with our partners in Belgium to your customised needs based on your personal dynamics. We receive you insoles with 2 weeks and you return for a follow up session to try them out.

Around 80% of people will at one point in their lives be confronted with feet problems or troubles which have an origin in bad feet positioning. If you have experienced foot problems in the past or have any niggling foot pain when walking or running get in touch for an objective gait analysis assessment.