Force Plate Testing and Analysis
Reach your full athletic potential with force plate analysis from Injury Mechanics. This system allows us to perform objective analysis of your movement patterns to optimise exercise plans and help you recover from Injury.
What is Force Plate Testing?
Force plate testing uses platforms with in-built sensors to measure what’s known as ‘ground reaction forces’ (GRFs) to give us insight into your athletic performance and abilities.
This allows our team of specialists to enhance treatment design, facilitating your pain-free injury rehabilitation, as well as optimising athletic performance using objective data.
In our next level testing space, force plate testing garners highly accurate results (to the nearest 1% up to 12,000N or 1,224kg) of force measurement. This allows us to conduct objective testing regarding your athletic capabilities, such as your power, rate of force development and reactive strength.
What to expect during force plate testing
Our force plate testing service is yet another evidence-based approach which we conduct methodically to help you reach your personal goals and recover from Injury as safely and quickly as possible.
Before we begin with the test, we’ll have a conversation with you, learning:
Your goals;
The problems you’re facing;
Any discomfort you may be experiencing.
After this, we’ll explain how we think our force plate testing service will help you reach your goals, whilst conducting a short dynamic warm-up (usually involving light cardio or stretching to get your body prepared for the tests). We may also discuss which of our other services may be beneficial for your injury recovery journey.
The test itself will consist of a series of simple exercises, such as jumps, balance tests, squats, lunges, and other movements which are intended to represent daily activities or sports. Our top of the range, Swedish-crafted, ‘Meloq systems’ are an intuitive data collecting system which allows us to store and analyse data.
Analysing this data allows us to provide an instant ‘patient report’ which clearly and visually outlines all the key metrics and findings alongside percentage differences between each side of your body. We can also provide further raw data for scientific research or further athletic data analysis.
Upgrade your performance with a next level force plate assessment with Injury Mechanics.
How long does force plate testing take?
The length of force plate testing can vary depending on the number and type of tests you need. Simple tests may take 20-30 minutes to complete alone, but alongside our initial consultation and following report and discussion, it’s likely that the whole process will take at least an hour.
The best way to gauge how long your force plate testing session with Injury Mechanics will take is by getting in contact with us for an initial discussion.
What do force plates measure?
Force plates measure the ground reaction forces (GRF) exerted during a range of movements including walking, jumping and running. Using finely-tuned sensors, they measure three-dimensional forces for biomechanical analysis, tracking your balance, postural control and centre of pressure (CoP).
This allows us to understand the part of your body where force is applied, which can be used to improve athletic performance and improve recovery.
Force plate testing and analysis
Force plate testing would be nothing without the subsequent analysis. The idea is to understand how you are using your body, and potentially why you are using it in this way. It may allow us to outline nonoptimal movement patterns and habits, which may be as a result of injury, or simply habit.
The testing phase involves automatic data collection from our Meloq systems, which can instantly be quantified and analysed to determine the best course of action for your athletic improvement.
Learn More About Force Plate Testing
The advantages of testing with force plates
Testing with force plates comes with a number of advantages:
1
Quantifiable data - Force plates give highly accurate numbers, which allows us to measure and analyse many of your movement patterns and abilities very closely.
2
Detection of minor imbalances - Many other forms of movement or gait analysis are not as precise or sensitive to minor problems as force plates are. This allows us to detect, and amend, smaller issues before they have a chance to cause more major injuries or issues.
3
Real time feedback - Providing feedback in real time means we can make adjustments to your habits immediately and test the impact of these changes at the same time.
4
Controlled testing environment - The tests used on force plates are usually not excessively strenuous, making them perfect for injury recovery and improving strength and conditioning.
5
Objective tracking - Collecting and storing data with force plates allows us to track your progress against specific objectives, so we can alter training programs accordingly.
Local force plate testing with Injury Mechanics
Injury Mechanics offers local force plate testing services, designed to help you achieve your personal goals.
We use evidence-backed approaches to support and enable you to recover from injury, and reach new athletic heights.
Get in touch today to get started.
Meet our expert team
Find out who you will be working with, and what qualifications and experience our expert team have!
Become a Client Today
Our team are known to be approachable, professional, friendly, knowledgeable, caring and down to earth. If you would like to book an appointment with the Injury Mechanics team, fill out the contact form or use our simple online appointment booking system.
Become a Client Today
Our team are known to be approachable, professional, friendly, knowledgeable, caring and down to earth. If you would like to book an appointment with the Injury Mechanics team, fill out the contact form or use our simple online appointment booking system.