Beyond Health Biomechanical Screen: Client and Physio view

Here at Beyond Health, we have developed a unique Biomechanical Screen that analyses how people move and exercise. This one-to-one assessment will identify issues in your flexibility, strength and movement quality that could increase your risk of injury, hinder performance and prevent you from achieving your goals.

The Beyond Health Biomechanical Screens are performed by our expert physiotherapists in the rehabilitation spaces of our Parsons Green and Queen’s Park clinics. The Screen is adapted to each person’s needs and includes physical and functional tests carried out on VALD ForceFrame and ForceDecks, cutting-edge strength diagnostic equipment that is regularly used in elite sports.

Our client Will Gore describes his experience of a Biomechanical Screen, and how it benefited him, while Aarie Verwey, the Beyond Health physio who worked with him, gives his expert assessment of the Screen process.  

The Client: Will Gore, 43

By day I’m a copywriter and digital marketer… and also by day I’m a slow runner and occasional five-a-side footballer. In my working life, one of my regular jobs is working with Beyond Health. As a result, I’ve heard and written a lot about the benefits of  Biomechanical Screens. A couple of months ago, it was my time to put words into action and give it a go myself.

I met Beyond Health physio Aarie at the Parsons Green clinic. We started by discussing recent injuries (a torn hamstring 18 months ago) and my exercise regime, and then quickly got to work. Aarie asked me to lie down under the VALD ForceFrame machine, a rectangular metal frame with pads that can be attached and arranged in a series of configurations. Aarie put me in different positions underneath it and I then proceeded to push and squeeze the pads either with my knees or feet. As I gave it my all (and felt the burn), my results were recorded on an iPad. Asymmetries were detected in my hamstrings, plus strength deficiencies in my abductors, the muscle groups on the outside of the hips.

I also went on the treadmill for a filmed running assessment. Thankfully my running technique was pretty decent, just requiring a bit of hip stability improvement, an issue that was also detected in the ForceFrame tests.

Using a digital library of recorded exercises via an app, Aarie sent me away with video demos of personally prescribed exercises to do three times a week. These involved all manner of thrusts, dips and stretches aimed at sorting out the asymmetry and building up strength in the target areas. On Aarie’s advice, I also hit the Hip Adductor and Hip Abductor machines at the gym, equipment I had previously avoided. 

When I returned for a follow-up Screen eight weeks later, and got back under the ForceFrame, I’m pleased to say that I had made significant improvements and Aarie was happy with my progress, tweaking my exercise plan to focus on further strengthening my hamstrings. 

I can highly recommend the Biomechanical Screen process. Aarie’s gently encouraging manner and expertise in creating a targeted programme for me has already started to pay dividends (no more random groin pain!). Now it’s down to me to keep working at it. 

The Physio: Aarie Verwey 

A Biomechanical Screen is useful for all sorts of people in different situations, whether it be someone who is looking to get back to their best after recovering from injury, someone wanting to get into a new sport/exercise or someone who wants to drive their performance to the next level. 

With the equipment we have available here at Beyond Health we can accurately measure strength levels, power production and balance, and identify areas of strength and weakness. The aim is to construct a structured, personalised training programme specific to what an individual’s body needs to avoid injury, safely progress exercise/function and work towards peak performance.

When I first saw Will we discussed his injury history, current activity and goals, and followed this up with some functional tests relevant to this information. I found Will had a slightly reduced level of knee control throughout a single leg squat, which relates back to his chosen activity of football and running. To me this looked like a hip-driven deficiency, so I felt a lack of hip strength was a likely cause, but I also looked at the quadriceps and balance as other possible causes. 

Test results showed a good level of quadriceps strength but a relatively poor level of glute/abductor strength (10+kg of force below expected/good force). Will also had a 13% asymmetry in his hamstring strength. 

To address these issues I created a personalised programme of exercises on Physiapp, including single leg hamstring bridges to improve the asymmetry and strengthening exercises to ensure better stability of the knee while playing football and running. 

When Will came back in and I re-tested him, improvements ranged between 10% and 40%, and some of our targets for a good level were achieved. The areas that made less improvement, still showed asymmetry or were still below desired levels were addressed with new exercises with a different focus. I’m keen to see how he continues to improve from here. 

Biomechanical Screen: Book now

Whether you are returning from injury, taking on a major sporting challenge or simply want to find out where you’re at, book your Biomechanical Screen at either Beyond Health Queen’s Park or Beyond Health Parsons Green.

The next steps: Strength and Conditioning Programme

The Biomechanical Screen is a great start to understanding your body and beginning to improve your strength and injury resilience. For those who want to take things to the next level and make sure their gains are ongoing, the next step to take is to do one of our MoveBeyond Clinical Strength and Conditioning programmes. Unlike other Strength and Conditioning offers, Beyond Health’s approach is founded on clinical and scientific expertise to ensure everything you do is efficient, effective and tailored to your individual needs. Find out more here

Read more about our Biomechanical Screen here or get in touch or call the clinic to speak to or book an appointment with a physiotherapist.