Force Plate Analysis
We are thrilled to use cutting-edge technology, normally reserved for elite athletes, into our day-to-day rehabilitation programs.
A force plate is a flat rectangular device that measures how forces are distributed across its surface. Think of it as a super-sensitive scale that not only tells you how much you weigh, but also how the forces are spread out when you stand, jump, or move around on it.
The force plate sends that information to an application, allowing us to analyze your movement strategies, side-to-side asymmetries, balance, and strength in real-time. During the initial session, our physiotherapists conduct a detailed interview to learn more about your injury, contributing factors, specific goals and create a comprehensive treatment plan. Throughout the treatment sessions, they will utilize various skills which include: manual therapy, acupuncture and exercise prescription to help maximize your recovery. We work in partnership with you and your health team to help you recover and stay well.
Using force plates helps us determine progress, return to sport readiness and identify deficiencies in your movement patterns (e.g.: limited push off or reduced “springiness”on the injured side).
How can this help your rehab journey?
Allows for baseline testing for strength and conditioning programs.
Assessing progress over time with rehab and conditioning programs
Identifying deficits and asymmetries in movement and force distribution
Determining injury risk profiles for returning to sport
Frequently Asked Questions
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You will stand on the plates and be asked to perform different movements like a squat or a jump. Your healthcare provider will determine what movements will be assessed, which is based on your particular injury and goals. Afterward, we will review the data generated by the force plates and use this to guide and track your rehabilitation.
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Your therapist will typically integrate force plate testing into your session. The force plate test your therapist chooses will depend on your injury and your overall goals. For example, if you want to get back to basketball after a knee injury, we will perform a squat assessment and a variety of jumping movements to look at your strength, and power production.
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Absolutely not! The force plate is incredibly versatile and appropriate for any client. For instance, if you are worried about falling, we can use the plate for a balance assessment or if you had your hip replaced we can assess how you get out of a chair.
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Yes! It will be billed based on which practitioner you are seeing. For instance, if you are working with a physiotherapist, your session will be billed under physiotherapy.
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It may be as quick as 5 minutes or take 20-30 minutes. It depends on the goals of the session, what we are working toward and where you are in your recovery.
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The more data the merrier! Ideally, we do some sort of testing in every session.. This will give us ample data to analyze and reduce the “noise in the data”, such as testing when you were sick, stressed, or had a bad night sleep etc. It is hard to believe but all of these factors can influence your results. If you live farther away, we can opt for a longer testing session every 4-6 weeks.