Gait / Walking Analysis
Gait examination is the analysis of walking problems by visually examining the interaction of the low back and the joints of the thighs, legs, and feet during the various stages of walking.
Many back, thigh, leg, ankle, and foot problems may be caused by or manifest themselves in subtle gait abnormalities.
Gait training involves retraining the patient to improve their ability to walk as close to normal again. This training may involve:
Stretching
Strengthening
Endurance exercise
Balance exercises
Visual/video training with feedback
Verbal cues to improve walking patterns
Training on different surfaces (grass, stairs, pavement, uneven surfaces)
There are a number of patients that can benefit from gait training including:
Post-surgical hip, knee, ankle, foot patients
Post-fracture patients
Post-surgical spine surgery patients
Patients with injuries to joints
Patients with spinal cord injuries
Vestibular/vertigo patients
Neurologically involved patients
Patients at risk for falls
Stroke patients
Numerous others