Force Plates in Physiotherapy

Technology plays an increasingly important role in modern physiotherapy, helping clinicians make better decisions and patients understand their progress more clearly. One of the most valuable tools now used in rehabilitation and performance settings is force plate testing.

At Invicta Health and Performance, we use force plates as part of our physiotherapy services in Holmes Chapel, Sandbach and across Cheshire, allowing us to assess movement, strength, and asymmetry with objective data.

What Are Force Plates?

Force plates are highly sensitive platforms designed to measure the forces produced by the body when you move. When you stand, jump, land or perform strength-based movements on a force plate, it records how much force is being applied and how that force is distributed through each limb.

Unlike visual assessment alone, force plates provide precise data that cannot be seen with the naked eye. This allows physiotherapists to identify subtle imbalances, compensation patterns or loading issues that may contribute to injury or limit performance.

How Do Force Plates Work?

Force plates work by detecting ground reaction forces when your feet make contact with the platform. These forces are measured in real time and analysed through specialist software, providing detailed feedback on how your body produces and absorbs load.

In clinical practice, this information helps us understand how efficiently you move, how much force each limb produces and whether one side is working harder than the other. Force plate testing is non-invasive, quick to perform, and can be adapted for a wide range of abilities, from early rehabilitation through to high-level athletic performance.

What Are Force Plates Used For?

Force plates are used to assess strength, power, balance and asymmetry across a range of movements. In physiotherapy, they are particularly useful for identifying deficits that may not be obvious during standard assessments.

Force plate data can highlight differences between limbs, reduced force production, delayed loading, or poor control during landing and deceleration. These insights are valuable when managing injuries, returning to sport, or guiding performance-based training decisions.

Are Force Plates Testing Useful for me?

Force plate testing can be useful for a wide range of people, not just elite athletes. It is particularly valuable if you are returning from injury, experiencing recurring pain, or want a clearer understanding of how your body handles load. Force plates provide objective information about strength, balance, and asymmetry that cannot always be identified through observation alone. This makes them helpful for guiding rehabilitation, return-to-exercise decisions, and injury prevention. Whether you are active, training for an event, or simply want confidence that your movement is progressing safely, force plate testing can offer clear, measurable insight to support your physiotherapy care.

Is Force Plate Testing Only For Athletes?

Force plate testing is not just for athletes. While it is commonly used in sport and performance settings, it is equally valuable for people who are active recreationally or simply want to move better and with less discomfort. Force plate data helps identify how your body produces and absorbs force, which is relevant for everyday activities as well as sport. This makes force plate testing useful for anyone looking to improve movement quality, reduce injury risk, or build confidence during rehabilitation.

Do I Need To Be Injured To Benefit From Force Plate Testing?

You do not need to be injured to benefit from force plate testing. It can be used proactively to identify strength imbalances, loading patterns, or movement asymmetries before they lead to pain or injury. Force plate testing is also helpful for monitoring progress, guiding training decisions, and supporting long-term physical health. For many people, it provides reassurance that their body is coping well with current activity levels or highlights areas that would benefit from targeted exercise.

How We Use Force Plates in Clinical Practice

At Invicta Health and Performance, force plates are integrated into physiotherapy assessment, rehabilitation, and performance planning. They allow us to make more informed clinical decisions and tailor rehabilitation programmes more precisely.

Force plate testing can be used to assess readiness to return to running or sport, track progress throughout rehabilitation and ensure strength and loading capacity are improving safely. It also provides objective reassurance for patients who may feel uncertain about returning to activity after injury.

In performance-focused settings, force plates help guide training priorities, identify areas for improvement, and reduce the risk of future injury by addressing imbalances early.

What types of tests can be performed using force plates?

Force plate testing can be used to assess a range of movements that reflect strength, power, and load tolerance. At Invicta Health and Performance, common tests include countermovement jumps to assess lower limb power and force production, single-leg hop testing to identify  differences in left to right and calf strength testing to evaluate how well the lower limb absorbs and produces force. Force plates can also be used to assess hamstring strength and mid-thigh pull performance, which provide valuable insight into overall lower limb and posterior chain capacity. These tests help guide rehabilitation, return-to-sport decisions, and performance planning using objective data rather than observation alone.

Force Plate Testing in Holmes Chapel, Sandbach and Cheshire

As part of our physiotherapy services in Holmes Chapel and Sandbach, Invicta Health and Performance offers force plate testing to support injury rehabilitation, performance development, and return-to-sport decision-making.

Whether you are recovering from injury, preparing for an event such as HYROX, or simply want a clearer understanding of how your body is performing, force plate testing provides valuable insight to guide your care.

Book an Assessment at Invicta Health and Performance

If you are interested in force plate testing as part of your physiotherapy, rehabilitation, or performance training, Invicta Health and Performance is here to help.

Get in touch today to book an assessment in Holmes Chapel or Sandbach and take a data-led approach to your recovery and performance.