Using VALD ForceDecks to Enhance Rehabilitation and Recovery

At City Sports + Physio Clinic, we are always looking for ways to combine clinical expertise with objective data to help our patients recover more effectively. One of the tools we use to support this approach is the VALD ForceDecks system — advanced dual force plates that measure how the body produces, absorbs, and distributes force during movement.

Traditionally, many aspects of rehabilitation relied heavily on observation and patient feedback. While these remain extremely important, ForceDecks allow us to measure things that are difficult to detect with the naked eye, including balance strategies, side-to-side asymmetries, landing forces, and movement compensations.

For a relatively simple injury like an ankle sprain, ForceDecks can help identify lingering balance deficits or protective movement patterns that may persist long after pain has improved. By objectively measuring weight distribution, stability, and force production, we can better tailor rehabilitation exercises and reduce the risk of recurrent sprains.

ForceDecks are also valuable in concussion and vestibular rehabilitation. Balance impairments following concussion are not always obvious during routine testing, but force plate technology can provide more sensitive information about postural control and balance strategy. This allows our clinicians to better track progress and individualize balance retraining programs throughout recovery.

In post-surgical rehabilitation — including ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair, joint replacement, or tendon repair — objective testing becomes especially important. Patients may feel ready to return to activity before strength, power, and symmetry have fully recovered. ForceDecks help us monitor recovery milestones, identify persistent deficits, and guide safer return-to-sport and return-to-activity decisions using measurable data rather than guesswork alone.

While this technology is widely used in elite sport, it is equally valuable for everyday patients recovering from injury, improving balance, or working toward better movement confidence. By combining evidence-informed physiotherapy with advanced assessment tools, we can provide more precise rehabilitation, better progress tracking, and more informed clinical decision-making throughout your recovery journey.