Podiatric examination

The podiatrist begins with a personal consultation. You will discuss the following with your podiatrist:

• What symptoms you are experiencing;
• When the symptoms first appeared;
• At what times do you experience the most discomfort from your condition?

We will also look together at your daily activities, such as work, sport and other things that may be affecting your symptoms.

The interview is followed by a physical examination. During the physical examination, the podiatrist will assess the alignment of your feet and your posture. We will examine, amongst other things, your feet, ankles, knees, legs, hips and back.

We assess your posture and whether certain parts of the body are under different strain. This is because a different position of the feet can also affect, for example, your knees, hips or lower back.

The podiatrist also carries out various physical tests. These enable us to assess how well your joints move and how stable they are. Depending on your symptoms, we may carry out additional tests, such as muscle tests or targeted movement tests.

Based on the physical examination, the podiatrist will gain a clear understanding of where your symptoms may be coming from.

The next part of the podiatry assessment involves examining your gait. Whilst you walk a short distance, the podiatrist will observe how your feet move. We will also look at how your knees, hips and torso move in coordination with your feet.

By analysing your gait, the podiatrist can gain a clear picture of the way you walk. This enables us to identify any abnormalities or overuse issues in good time.

If necessary, the podiatrist will make a pressure measurement. We do this using a special pressure measurement plate. This allows us to see exactly how the pressure is distributed under your feet whilst standing and walking.

A pressure measurement helps the podiatrist identify where overuse is occurring, as well as what may be the cause of your symptoms. If the pressure measurement indicates a need for it, we may opt to carry out a ultrasound to carry out research.

After the examination, the podiatrist will discuss the findings with you. We will explain the likely causes of your symptoms and what the problem is.

When making a diagnosis, we do not just look at your current symptoms, but also at how we can help prevent new or recurring symptoms.

The podiatrist will work with you to draw up a treatment plan tailored to your situation and goals. We will discuss which treatment best addresses your symptoms. You will also receive advice on what you can do yourself to support your recovery.

Possible components of the treatment include:

• Podiatric insoles
• Footwear advice or a shoe fitting
• Orthoses
• Dry needling
• Medical taping
• Practice advice
• Pressure relief using felting techniques

During follow-up appointments, the podiatrist will discuss with you how you are getting on and whether the treatment is helping. If necessary, we will adjust the treatment.

Have you been referred by your GP or specialist? If so, we will share the results of the examination with your referrer or other healthcare professionals involved.