If you are experiencing foot pain, recurring sports injuries, knee discomfort or problems with the way you walk or run, a professional gait analysis can help identify the underlying cause. At Paul Miller Podiatry, we provide expert gait analysis and biomechanical assessments for patients across Kent, including Strood, Rochester, Medway and Sidcup.
By analysing how your feet, ankles and lower limbs move, we can help diagnose issues affecting your posture, movement and overall comfort — allowing us to recommend effective treatments such as orthotics, footwear advice and personalised podiatry care. If you would like to book a gait analysis appointment or speak to an experienced podiatrist in Kent, get in touch with Paul Miller Podiatry today.
What Is a Gait Analysis?
A gait analysis is a detailed assessment of the way you walk or run. At Paul Miller Podiatry, gait analysis is used to identify problems with foot function, posture, balance and lower limb movement that may be contributing to pain or recurring injuries. By examining how pressure is distributed through your feet and how your joints move during motion, a podiatrist can gain a clearer understanding of the underlying cause of discomfort.
Gait analysis can be particularly helpful for people experiencing foot pain, heel pain, shin splints, knee pain, hip pain or sports-related injuries. It is also commonly used for runners and active individuals who want to improve performance and reduce the risk of future injury. Following the assessment, we can recommend tailored treatments such as orthotics, stretching programmes, footwear advice or ongoing podiatry care.
During a gait analysis appointment, we may assess:
- The way your feet strike the ground when walking or running
- Foot posture and alignment
- Balance and weight distribution
- Joint movement in the feet, ankles, knees and hips
- Areas of excessive pressure or instability
- Walking and running biomechanics
- Muscle tightness or weakness affecting movement
- Footwear wear patterns and suitability
By understanding how your body moves, gait analysis can help identify the root cause of pain rather than simply treating the symptoms.
What Problems Can Gait Analysis Help With?
Gait analysis can help identify a wide range of conditions linked to the way your feet and lower limbs move. Poor biomechanics, abnormal walking patterns and uneven pressure distribution can place extra strain on the muscles and joints, often leading to pain, instability and recurring injuries. At Paul Miller Podiatry, we use gait analysis to help patients across Kent better understand the cause of their symptoms and find the most effective treatment plan.
Many people are unaware that foot function can affect the ankles, knees, hips and even the lower back. A professional gait assessment can help uncover movement issues that may be contributing to long-term discomfort, particularly during walking, running or exercise. Gait analysis is commonly recommended for both active individuals and people experiencing everyday mobility problems.
A gait analysis may help identify or improve conditions such as:
- Plantar fasciitis and heel pain
- Shin splints and running injuries
- Achilles tendon pain
- Flat feet or overpronation
- Knee pain caused by poor foot alignment
- Hip and lower back discomfort
- Ankle instability and recurring sprains
- Foot fatigue and arch pain
- Bunions and pressure-related foot problems
- Sports injuries linked to biomechanics
- Pain when walking or standing for long periods
- Uneven shoe wear caused by walking patterns
By identifying the root cause of these issues, a podiatrist can recommend targeted treatments such as custom orthotics, footwear advice, stretching exercises and biomechanical support to help reduce pain and prevent future problems.
Running Gait Analysis for Sports Injuries
Running places repeated stress on the feet, ankles, knees and hips, which means even small biomechanical issues can lead to pain or recurring injuries over time. At Paul Miller Podiatry, our running gait analysis assessments help identify movement patterns that may be contributing to discomfort, reduced performance or injury during exercise.
A running gait analysis looks at how your body moves while running, including foot strike, posture, balance and lower limb alignment. By assessing the way force travels through the body during movement, we can identify areas of excessive strain and recommend treatments to improve comfort, efficiency and injury prevention. This can be particularly beneficial for runners training regularly, returning from injury or preparing for events such as marathons and endurance races.
Running gait analysis may help with:
- Shin splints and lower leg pain
- Runner’s knee and knee discomfort
- Achilles tendon injuries
- Plantar fasciitis and heel pain
- Calf tightness and muscle fatigue
- Repetitive strain injuries
- Ankle instability and overpronation
- Hip pain linked to running mechanics
- Stress-related injuries caused by poor biomechanics
- Improving running efficiency and performance
Following your assessment, we may recommend treatments such as custom orthotics, footwear advice, strengthening exercises or changes to running technique to help reduce stress on the body and lower the risk of future injury. Whether you are a beginner runner or a regular athlete, professional gait analysis can play an important role in keeping you active and injury free.
Biomechanics Assessments & Orthotics
Biomechanics assessments look at how the feet, ankles and lower limbs function during movement. At Paul Miller Podiatry, these assessments are used to identify imbalances, alignment issues and abnormal movement patterns that may be contributing to pain or recurring injuries. By understanding how your body moves, we can create a treatment plan designed around your individual needs.
Problems with foot biomechanics can affect much more than just the feet. Poor alignment and uneven pressure distribution may place additional strain on the knees, hips and lower back, particularly during walking, running or long periods of standing. A biomechanics assessment helps identify these issues early and allows us to recommend treatments aimed at improving comfort, stability and movement efficiency.
You can get a Biomechanical Exam from Paul Miller for £90, please see our pricing page for more info.
In some cases, custom orthotics may be recommended as part of your treatment plan. Orthotics are specially designed insoles that support the feet and help improve alignment while reducing pressure on painful areas. They can be beneficial for both everyday activities and sports performance.
Biomechanics assessments and orthotics may help with:
- Heel pain and plantar fasciitis
- Flat feet and overpronation
- Knee, hip and lower back pain
- Sports injuries and running-related discomfort
- Foot fatigue and arch pain
- Achilles tendon problems
- Uneven pressure and walking patterns
- Improving balance and stability
Our goal is to not only relieve pain, but also help prevent future problems by improving the way your body moves and functions day to day.
Signs You May Need a Gait Assessment
Recurring Foot Pain – Ongoing foot pain can often be linked to the way you walk or distribute pressure through your feet. A gait assessment can help identify underlying biomechanical issues contributing to discomfort.
Knee, Hip or Lower Back Pain – Problems with foot alignment and walking patterns can place additional strain on other joints in the body, leading to pain higher up the legs or back.
Frequent Sports Injuries – If you regularly experience injuries while running, exercising or playing sports, poor biomechanics may be increasing stress on muscles and joints.
Uneven Shoe Wear – Shoes that wear down more heavily on one side can be a sign of abnormal walking patterns or imbalance during movement.
Pain When Walking or Running – Discomfort during everyday walking or physical activity may indicate problems with posture, foot function or lower limb alignment.
Flat Feet or Overpronation – Feet that roll inward excessively can affect stability and increase the risk of pain and injury without the right support.
Ankle Instability or Repeated Sprains – Weakness or instability around the ankles may be caused by the way your feet move during walking and exercise.
Foot Fatigue After Standing – Tired, aching feet after standing for long periods can sometimes be improved through better biomechanical support and footwear advice.
Changes in Walking Style – Limping, altered posture or changes in the way you walk may suggest an underlying issue that should be professionally assessed.
Training for Running Events – A running gait assessment can help improve efficiency, reduce injury risk and support performance for runners of all levels.
Gait Analysis with an Experienced Podiatrist in Kent
At Paul Miller Podiatry, we provide professional gait analysis and biomechanics assessments for patients across Kent, including Strood, Rochester, Medway and Sidcup. Whether you are dealing with foot pain, recurring injuries or discomfort while walking or running, our assessments are designed to help identify the underlying cause of the problem and guide you towards the most effective treatment.
Every person walks and moves differently, which is why a detailed gait assessment can provide valuable insight into how your feet, ankles and lower limbs are functioning. By carefully analysing your movement patterns, posture and pressure distribution, we can identify issues that may be contributing to pain, instability or reduced performance during everyday activities and sport.
We regularly help patients with conditions such as plantar fasciitis, heel pain, shin splints, knee pain, Achilles tendon injuries and sports-related problems linked to poor biomechanics. Following your assessment, we may recommend treatments such as custom orthotics, stretching exercises, footwear advice or ongoing podiatry care tailored to your needs.
Our aim is not only to relieve pain, but also to improve long-term movement, comfort and mobility. If you are looking for an experienced podiatrist offering gait analysis in Kent, Paul Miller Podiatry is here to help.
Book a Gait Analysis Appointment in Kent
If you are experiencing foot pain, recurring injuries or discomfort when walking or running, a professional gait analysis can help identify the cause and point you towards the right treatment. At Paul Miller Podiatry, we provide expert gait analysis and biomechanics assessments for patients across Kent, including Strood, Rochester, Medway and Sidcup.
Whether you are dealing with heel pain, knee pain, sports injuries or ongoing mobility issues, our assessments are designed to help improve movement, reduce pain and prevent future problems. Following your appointment, we can recommend personalised treatments such as orthotics, footwear advice and podiatry care tailored to your needs.