Gait Analysis & Treatments
Walking, a foundation to well being
Gait is defined as the way we walk, and it can be analyzed by one of our trained physiotherapists at Altaira who can identify movement patterns that may be antalgic (abnormal) following a short or long term injury, stroke, neurological disease, limb amputation, or many other presentations.
A trained physio can help interpret gait by looking at:
- Cadence (steps taken per minute)
- Step time and width
- Hip movement and muscle activation (particularly lateral gluteal muscles)
- Foot stability (medial and longitudinal arch)
- Step patterns
- Muscle weakness
Treatment Options to Correct Abnormal Gait
Often when analysing gait a physiotherapist may already have an idea on what is contributing towards pain from the subjective examination. As a result, the physiotherapist will often look at analysing one particular body area during gait analysis to determine if it is the source of the abnormal gait and/or contributing to poor biomechanics that led to the injury.
Treatment options can depend on what the source of the abnormal gait has been identified as. For example, it may be targeted towards strengthening of particular muscles, correct timing and sequence for specific muscle activation, arch support in the feet, the way your foot strikes the ground, and many other issues.
Alternatively, analysis of gait may also be used in the elderly or disabled population to identify the best gait aid (e.g. walking stick, walking frame, etc.) to be used for safe walking, both at home and in a community setting, to help maintain balance and reduce falls risk.