Why do biomechanical evaluations matter? They matter because, to start your recovery process, our team needs to understand the mechanical issues that may be affecting your joints, muscles, ligaments, and overall movement. Pain is not always caused by the area where you feel it. Sometimes, a weakness, imbalance, limited mobility, or movement pattern in another part of the body can contribute to the pain or injury you are experiencing. A biomechanical evaluation allows our physical therapy team to look beyond the painful area and better understand how your body moves as a whole.
A biomechanical evaluation can include reviewing your current and previous pain, walking and running mechanics, range of motion, flexibility, balance, and muscle strength. Depending on your individual needs, our team may look at how different parts of your body work together during specific movements or activities. This information can help us identify areas that may be weak, restricted, or compensating for another part of the body. By understanding these movement patterns, we can create a treatment plan that is specific to you rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to physical therapy.
Identifying the pained or weakened area is an important part of the recovery process, but the goal isn’t only to make your current pain feel better. We also want to help address the factors that may have contributed to the problem in the first place. Strengthening weak areas, improving flexibility and mobility, and correcting movement patterns can help you move more efficiently and may help reduce the risk of future injuries. Your evaluation also provides a starting point for tracking your progress throughout your time in physical therapy. As you improve, our team can monitor changes in your strength, flexibility, range of motion, and overall movement.
At Axis Spine and Orthopedics, we believe understanding how your body moves is an important part of creating an individualized recovery plan. A biomechanical evaluation gives our team valuable information about your body and helps us determine where we can focus our efforts. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, experiencing persistent pain, or looking to improve your movement and performance, a thorough evaluation can be an important first step toward getting back to doing what you love.
