At The Health Hub, we are always looking for ways to make our assessments more accurate, our rehabilitation plans more personalised and your progress easier to understand.
That is why we are delighted to introduce VALD ForceDecks to the clinic. This advanced force plate technology gives our clinicians objective information about how your body produces, controls and absorbs force.
ForceDecks are widely used in elite sport, research and rehabilitation. They can assess strength, power, balance, jumping, landing and differences between the left and right sides of the body. Best of all, when your clinician feels that ForceDecks testing would be useful, it will be included as part of your care at no additional cost.
What are ForceDecks?
ForceDecks are two highly sensitive plates that measure the forces you produce when you stand, balance, squat, jump or perform a specific strength test.
Because each foot is positioned on a separate plate, the system can measure how much force is being produced by each side of the body. The results appear immediately, giving your clinician detailed information that cannot always be identified through observation alone.
Depending on your condition and goals, testing might involve:
- Standing still to assess balance
- Moving from sitting to standing
- Performing a controlled squat
- Jumping and landing
- Holding or pushing against resistance
- Comparing strength between the left and right sides
ForceDecks can automatically assess more than 20 different movements and provide information about strength, power, asymmetry and balance. The system has also been validated against laboratory force plates, making it a reliable clinical measurement tool. You can read more on the official VALD ForceDecks website.
Why is objective information important?
A physical assessment will always involve listening to your concerns, understanding your goals and examining how you move. Clinical experience remains central to everything we do.
ForceDecks do not replace that process. Instead, they add another valuable layer of information.
Someone may feel that both legs are working equally, for example, while testing shows that they are placing more load through one side. Another person may appear to jump or squat well, but the data may reveal a difference in how quickly each leg produces force or how effectively the body controls a landing.
These differences are not always a problem in themselves. They need to be interpreted in the context of your symptoms, injury history, activity and goals. That is where the experience of your clinician remains essential.
More personalised rehabilitation
One of the greatest benefits of ForceDecks is the ability to use the findings to help shape your rehabilitation programme.
Rather than relying only on general milestones or how an exercise feels, your clinician can gather measurable information about your current capabilities. This may help them decide which areas need more attention and when it may be appropriate to progress your exercises.
For example, testing could help identify whether you would benefit from focusing on:
- Building strength on one side
- Improving how quickly you produce force
- Developing better landing control
- Increasing power
- Improving balance and stability
- Building confidence before returning to an activity
This allows rehabilitation to be more specific to you, whether your goal is returning to running, getting back on the padel court, rebuilding strength after surgery or simply feeling more confident in everyday movement.
Tracking progress you can see
Recovery does not always follow a perfectly straight line. Pain can vary from day to day, and it can sometimes be difficult to recognise the progress you have made.
ForceDecks give us the ability to repeat selected tests at appropriate stages of your rehabilitation. We can then compare the results and see how your strength, balance, power or movement strategy has changed.
This provides useful feedback for your clinician, but it can also be reassuring and motivating for you. Instead of relying only on how things feel, you may be able to see clear evidence that your body is becoming stronger or that the difference between your two sides is reducing.
The results can also help guide conversations about returning to sport or more demanding activities. No single test can determine whether someone is completely ready, but objective information can contribute to a more informed decision.
Not just for elite athletes
Force plate technology is often associated with professional sports teams, but its uses extend far beyond elite performance.
ForceDecks assessments may be helpful for a wide range of people, including:
- Runners experiencing recurring injuries
- Padel, tennis and other court-sport players
- People rehabilitating after knee, hip or ankle surgery
- Gym users working towards strength or performance goals
- Older adults looking to improve balance and confidence
- Anyone returning to activity after an injury
- Active people who want to establish a baseline and monitor progress
The tests selected will always reflect your ability, symptoms and goals. You will not necessarily be asked to jump or perform demanding movements. Functional assessments such as balance or moving from sitting to standing can also provide valuable information.
Advanced assessment at no additional cost
We want this technology to enhance the care we already provide, not become an expensive extra.
If Martin, Kirk or another appropriate clinician believes that ForceDecks testing would add useful information to your assessment or rehabilitation, it will be incorporated into your appointment at no additional charge.
Not every patient will need ForceDecks testing, and more data is not automatically better. We will use it when it can answer a relevant clinical question, help personalise your treatment or provide a meaningful way to track your progress.
A clearer picture of your progress
ForceDecks allow us to combine expert clinical assessment with accurate, objective measurement. They can help us better understand how you are moving, create a more targeted rehabilitation plan and measure changes that may otherwise be difficult to see.
Most importantly, the technology gives us another way to help you work towards the activities that matter to you.
If you would like to know whether a ForceDecks assessment could support your rehabilitation or performance goals, speak to Martin, Kirk or a member of our reception team.