Gait Analysis - For Healthy Joints

The evaluation and examination of walking style at a normal speed is known as gait analysis. Though it may look simple to you, but it is important to understand that walking, pace, step etc. have a great level of effect on different type of ligament and joint problems. While walking, you put weight on one leg and foot and then on the other one each time you take a step. Nobody gives a thought about this everyday activity, but it gives a whole new meaning to walking when you recognise the work of every single joint in your body.

Gait analysis is quite important to understand if your work requires continuous walking all day long. This should be done to avoid any harm to your body and complications in joints. Style of walking has a significant role in affecting your health because distribution of the stress is established by it on every joint from your waist to feet. Those who suffer from various issues with their legs think that some old health problem or working factor is responsible for the pain in the joints. They generally fail to understand that their walking or running gait is affecting them by putting strain on the legs.

You would find that there is no specific pattern or way of walking because proper gait appear in a wide range of types depending on the different physical attributes and body types. By general assessment of gait, it can be described as:

• Ensure that while taking each step, your heel is making a good contact with the ground and the base of your feet follows in rolling motion. This is followed by foot’s ball and toes helping you take the next step.
• Your foot should not be slanted outward or inward when it touches the ground completely.
• There should be no jerking motion instead a rhythmic motion should be produced by legs and hips stepping together.
• With each stride, make a habit of moving your legs symmetrically.
• Neither outward nor inward direction should be pointed by knees.
• To improve balance of the body, your arms should swing uniformly and rhythmically in forward or backward position.
• Do not slouch, but rather a relaxed and a good posture should be sustained by your body.

If you are suffering from joint pains and other problems in your feet and hips, then it is advisable to visit a physio and by searching online you can find a good one in Willoughby. Before starting the treatment, a physio would first analyse your gait by following ways:

• Would check the pattern of wearing on your footwear.
• Your standing posture would be observed.
• The physio would make you walk in different styles to observe your walking gait.
• By running on treadmill, your running gait would be analysed.
• The range of motion would be checked and analysed available at your joints from the hips to the feet. This is generally done to carry out a functional assessment.
• The areas of your feet with high pressure would be checked.

Anna Jane Physio North Sydney has more than 18 years of experiance as a physiotherapist. She has served as team physio to the Australian Freestyle Ski Team.