Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 67, February 2015 | Page 38

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BODY SCIENCE

Full Body Check-up
I walk into podiatrist Carlo Longano’s office at the Biodynamics
Institute in Sea Point, Cape Town around midday and we start
chatting about podiatry, shoes and injuries. He tells me about all
the different tests he and his team do to assess, diagnose and
treat patients, and then I go through the testing process. After
that, we sit down to chat some more, and next thing I know,
it’s 9:30pm and we’re still talking... That’s how complex (and
fascinating) this all is. – BY SEAN FALCONER

I

have to admit, it took me a while to wrap my head around everything the Bio
dynamics Institute tests, but as Carlo explains, there is a reason for their
thorough approach. “My goal is to get to the root of the problem and to achieve
as high a success rate as possible,” he says. “I’m a fifth-generation shoemaker and
qualified as a podiatrist 30 years ago, and over the years I became intrigued by the
mechanics of the human body. My team and I believe that by treating the person as
a whole rather than just the symptom, we help the patient regain physical mobility,
strength, balance and endurance.”

The outdoor testing track compliments the treadmill testing

TEST SUBJECT EDITOR

Next they strapped me to a weight machine to measure the strength of my various
leg muscles and balance when moving a 5kg weight. Some movements were no
problem, others made me literally fall over. Then it was onto the treadmill with
electrodes stuck to my calves, and the electromyography readings showed that my
inner and outer calf muscles fire at hugely disparate levels or frequency – some
muscles are barely worki