Gait analysis is a biomechanical exam that observes the symmetry of movement, balance, and evenness in pace between one leg crossing over to another. This process often utilizes scientific methods to gather information regarding an individual’s functional mobility, stability, ability to perform physical work activities, and performance during recreational sporting functions. There are many gait analyses, each using its own set of rules or protocols for the examiner. However, some general steps are found in most methods. If you’re looking for a gait analysis, contact Symmetry Physical therapy Bronxville NY today!

General Procedure for Gait Analysis

The individual is asked to wear similar footwear (if any) as they would wear while performing activities of daily living. This generally means soft-soled shoes or walking sneakers. The examiner observes and records the amount and length of foot pronation, how the legs rotate inward (knock knees), any forward leaning tendencies, and how long it takes for one leg to cross over to other when walking. The individual is allowed to walk at their own steady pace without assistance from the examiner.

The examiner records the quality of gait, which refers to how the individual walks. They will also record if there are any deviations in foot strike (the point at which your foot makes contact with the ground), including whether there is a flat-footed contact, where both feet land on the ground at the same time; an inward roll of the foot, where the heel hits first and rolls inward toward the big toe; or an outward roll, where the outside edge of your foot hits first.

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This process is generally repeated several times during separate encounters with different examiners until a consensus of how that individual’s gait pattern looks like. Hip abductor muscle strength and hip rotator muscle strength can also be measured via a specialized test protocol created by physical therapists.

Individuals with neurological disorders often display abnormal gait patterns, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). This is due to the loss of coordination between muscles and/or groups of muscles or spasticity in leg muscles. Researchers have developed test protocols focusing on examining gait deficits for people with neurological disorders.

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Gait analysis is a process that can provide helpful information to physicians, physical therapists, and biomechanists to assess an individual’s functional mobility and body mechanics. This process can also assist in diagnosing specific neurological disorders that display a variety of gait deficits. If you’re looking for a gait analysis, contact Symmetry Physical therapy Bronxville NY today!