What a DIERS 4D scan shows, and what it doesn't.

One lab, four systems

Our DIERS 4D motion lab combines four German-engineered measuring systems. Each one is useful on its own. Together, synchronised, they show how your whole body works as one.

• DIERS formetric 4D projects a fine grid of light onto your back and records it with cameras, building a three-dimensional model of your spine and posture. Nothing touches you, and there is no radiation.
• DIERS 4Dmotion follows your spine and pelvis while you walk, not just while you stand still.
• DIERS Leg Axis tracks the geometry of your legs, connecting how your feet, ankles, knees and hips line up with your spinal posture.
• DIERS pedoscan and pedogait measure the pressure under your feet, standing and walking, using a pressure plate built into a treadmill.

Why "4D"?

The fourth dimension is time: three-dimensional measurement, captured continuously as you move. This lets us see your functional posture, the way you actually hold and move yourself.

Many spinal misalignments, pelvic instabilities and muscular imbalances do not show up on a traditional X-ray or 3D scan taken while you stand perfectly still. Adding time and movement captures every curve, twist and alignment, and shows how your body compensates, how it absorbs shock, and how it lines up, or doesn't, in daily activity.

The value is in the synchronisation. We can see what your spine and pelvis are doing at the exact moment your left foot loads.

That is how connections appear between a foot problem and a back problem, or between a knee that keeps flaring up and a pelvis that rotates more to one side.

We can also use each system on its own where that is all you need. Our scan packages range from a 45-minute static posture scan to the full two-hour motion lab.

What it doesn't show

The scan measures the surface of your body and how it moves. It cannot see inside: no discs, nerves, bone or soft tissue. That is what MRI and X-ray are for.

So a DIERS scan does not replace imaging when imaging is genuinely needed. If you have certain warning signs, such as new bladder or bowel problems, numbness in the groin, worsening leg weakness or a recent hard fall, you need a doctor before any scan. See the full list of warning signs.

Weighing up a 4D scan against an MRI or a consultant? We have written an honest comparison: MRI, consultant or 4D scan: which should come first?

What happens on the day

Before

We take your medical history and talk through what has been going on, what you have tried, and what you want to get back to. Bring any previous scan reports.

During

You stand in front of the scanner, then walk on the lab's treadmill while the systems record together. It is painless, and nothing touches your skin.

After

We go through the results with you on screen, explain what matters and what is simply your normal, and agree what to do next. A written report with actionable objectives will be sent on.

Travelling to us from further afield

Full DIERS motion labs are uncommon in UK private practice, and a growing number of people travel to us specifically for the scan.

We are at 204 Leckhampton Road, Cheltenham, GL53 0AQ, with free parking on site.

• By car: Cheltenham is just off the M5.
• By train: Cheltenham Spa station has direct services from London, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff.

How accurate is it?

DIERS technology has been studied for decades. A few of the key findings:

• In 64 adolescents with scoliosis, same-day repeat scans were almost identical (reliability 0.996), and measurements agreed strongly with X-ray for the main thoracic curve (r = 0.87).¹
• A meta-analysis of 19 studies found the technology highly reliable (r > 0.91) and reasonably valid against X-ray (r > 0.70), with stronger results in scoliosis.²
• In adults, 39 of 40 DIERS formetric 4D spine-shape parameters showed good-to-excellent repeatability, and 36 of 40 held up between different days.³
• DIERS pedogait walking measurements showed excellent repeatability (ICC 0.90 to 0.99) in 36 people with knee osteoarthritis.⁴

In plain words: it is very consistent, which makes it ideal for tracking change over time. It agrees well with X-ray for spinal shape, but not perfectly, which is why it measures and monitors rather than diagnoses.

Common questions