A Biomechanical Assessment will analyse the Ground Reaction Force (GRF) and it’s affect on the various joints of the body, usually the ankle, knee and hip.  The GRF is a force vector line which passes from the ground and around all the large joints of the body, creating movements around each joint.  The magnitude and direction of the GRF will create a change in the movements around the joints and therefore a change in the muscle activity around those joints.  A simple example to explain the GRF would be to look at the difference between a heel strike or a midfoot strike as outlines above.  This change in GRF creates a change in the position of the ankle – knee – hip resulting in an imbalance of muscle activity surrounding that joint e.g. one muscle may over work whilst its antagonist underworks. This then creates an imbalance in the stress applied to muscles and joints in the body, and this overload of stress applied to the same area of the body will eventually result in injury or a very slow recovery time from injury. Not to mention the added frustration and often associated levels of depression.

Biomechanics is the study of kinetics and kinematics as you move!