Lesson 1Comprehensive Subjective History: Pain Characteristics, Occupational Demands, Running History, Footwear, Past Injuries, Prior Treatments, Red FlagsThis lesson guides you on gathering a full patient history for foot and knee pain, including how pain acts, work and sports needs, shoes worn, training levels, old injuries, past care, and key questions to spot urgent issues that direct your exam.
Clarifying pain onset, pattern, and irritabilityOccupational and daily load profilingRunning and sport training historyFootwear, surfaces, and equipment reviewPrevious injuries, treatments, and red flagsLesson 2Strength and Flexibility Testing: Hip Abductors/Extensors, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calf Complex, Intrinsic Foot Muscle TestingLearn to test strength and flexibility in hip, knee, and foot muscles like abductors, extensors, quads, hamstrings, calves, and foot intrinsics, connecting weaknesses to how loads are taken, injury chances, and what orthotics might need.
Hip abductor and extensor strength testsQuadriceps and hamstring strength checksCalf complex strength and endurance testsIntrinsic foot muscle function testsKey flexibility tests for lower limbLesson 3How Assessment Findings Guide Orthotic Decisions: Linking Pronation/Supination, Alignment, Mobility and Symptom Drivers to Orthotic FeaturesUnderstand how to combine exam results to decide on orthotics, tying foot rolling in or out, body alignment, joint movement, and pain causes to insole designs, supports, and materials suited to each person's needs.
Mapping impairments to orthotic goalsChoosing rearfoot and forefoot postingManaging mobility with shell stiffnessPressure redistribution and offloadingIterative orthotic adjustment over timeLesson 4Postural and Lower-Limb Alignment Assessment: Static Standing, Weight-Bearing Symmetry, Tibial Torsion, Q-Angle, Pelvic HeightThis covers watching posture and leg alignment while standing, checking balance on feet, shin bone twist, knee angle, and hip levels, and how these link to load patterns and planning orthotic support.
Static standing observation checklistWeight-bearing symmetry and shift patternsMeasuring Q-angle and tibial torsionPelvic height, tilt, and leg length cluesRelating alignment to pain mechanismsLesson 5Ankle Ligament and Stability Tests: Anterior Drawer, Talar Tilt, Inversion Stress, Proprioception AssessmentsExplore main tests for ankle steadiness like front pull, bone tilt, side stress, and balance sense checks, with tips on doing them right, reading results, and what they mean for orthotic help and recovery plans.
Anterior drawer test: setup and cuesTalar tilt and inversion stress testingHigh ankle sprain and syndesmosis checksProprioception and balance test optionsLinking instability to orthotic featuresLesson 6Functional and Sport-Specific Tests: Single-Leg Squat, Step-Down, Hop Tests, Timed Walk/Run ToleranceReview activity and sport tests including one-leg squat, step down, jumps, and timed walks or runs, focusing on movement quality, staying power, and pain reactions to plan rehab steps and insole use.
Single-leg squat quality and controlStep-down and stair negotiation testsSingle-leg hop and triple hop optionsTimed walk and run tolerance testsUsing tests to guide return to sportLesson 7Gait and Dynamic Observations: Barefoot and Shod Walking, Running Analysis, Stride, Cadence, Rearfoot vs Forefoot StrikeFocus on watching walking and running without and with shoes, looking at step length, rhythm, foot landing, and adjustments, showing how these active findings sharpen diagnosis and insole choices for various activities.
Barefoot versus shod gait comparisonStride length, cadence, and step widthRearfoot, midfoot, and forefoot strike patternsIdentifying dynamic valgus and trunk swayVideo-based gait analysis essentialsLesson 8Foot and Ankle-Specific Tests: Navicular Drop, Arch Height Index, Arch Mobility Stiffness Tests, Talocrural Joint MobilityGet a targeted method for foot and ankle exams like bone drop, arch measure, stiffness check, and ankle joint range, covering how to measure, reliability, and impact on orthotic designs.
Navicular drop test: method and normsArch height index and arch profilingArch mobility and stiffness assessmentTalocrural joint mobility testingIntegrating measures into orthotic planningLesson 9Red Flag and Differential Diagnosis Screening: Inflammatory, Neurological, Referred Pain, Systemic CausesDetail checks for warning signs and other possible causes in foot and knee pain, like swelling issues, nerve problems, pain from elsewhere, and body-wide conditions, guiding when to send to specialists or adjust plans.
Key inflammatory and septic arthritis signsNeurological and radicular symptom patternsVascular, metabolic, and systemic indicatorsScreening questions that trigger referralDocumenting and communicating red flags
