Gait Analysis: Everything You Need to Know

What Is A Gait Analysis?

Gait analysis is an assessment that is performed by a specialist podiatrist to analyse your walking or running pattern. Abnormal running patterns or walking patterns can cause a variety of problems.

A podiatrist also is able to analyse the type of foot deformities you may have. For example, do you overpronate by flat flattening your arch too much or do you have a supinated foot type, where you have a high arch foot type?

During a gait analysis, we would also look at your knees and hip alignment and look at the internal or external rotation or whether there’s any valgus or varus positioning.

Furthermore, the hip positions could also be assessed including any back alignment issues or pelvic alignment issues.

When this is put together and compared to what normal is, we can start to look at injury patterns or investigate why certain symptoms such as muscular pain or hip pain, back pain or even foot problems are as a result of either injury or abnormal gait, which you may have inherited or maybe due to obvious causes like leg length discrepancy or unstable feet.

The Science Behind Gait Analysis

The science behind gait analysis is a comparative analysis of an acceptable norm of what normal is. This may be variable amongst population groups, but significant variance from that norm results in abnormal biomechanics and joint movement, which may be either genetic, developmental, or due to arthritis or injury.

This can impact how each joint is connected to each other, especially in the lower limb, and thus resulting in abnormal motion, restriction, and pattern leading to pain, injury, and reinjury.

Why Is A Gait Analysis Important?

Gait analysis is important to pick up any long-term problems that may result in the future due to abnormal gait. It also is important in more athletic people who may be more prone to injury, especially if they’re with high activity levels where they are more likely to get injured with abnormal gait. It helps you choose the right type of footwear. It also allows targeted strength building and rehabilitation.

Types Of Gait Analysis

There are a few types of gait analysis that are used.

The first being a visual analysis where the patients are examined walking down a corridor or a platform and any obvious malalignment is picked up by the podiatrist.

The second stage is a video gait analysis in which case either the patient will be videoed walking and running with and without shoes, and therefore we’d be able to slow down the videos and pick up abnormal motion.

The third type of video gait analysis is known as Vicon or using laser-guided machinery to be able to pick up marks or to apply marks that are picked up by the detectors on the patient’s body for a more detailed analysis, usually in athletes.

Visual And Video Gait Analysis

This type of gait analysis is performed both with and without the aid of video. This allows a more comprehensive review of a patient’s gait.

In the first instance, we look at the overall gait pattern, what patient naturally walks. Experienced clinicians can pick up even minor abnormalities in the gait, such as lifting your heel early or look at overall injury that may be associated with your gait. Then a more detailed video gait analysis allows slow motion assessment of the joints and movements.

Advanced Clinical Tools

We use 3D foot mapping to try to assess the foot in terms of structure. This will also help us manufacture specific designed orthotics and insoles to correct your gait. It also may help for a rehab plan together.

Find Gait Analysis Near You, Central London

The gait analysis is performed at 17 Harley Street by our team at London foot and ankle surgery. We provide both surgical and non-surgical services.

We use a high quality lab in Canada that manufactures our orthotics.

For some patients, we can use off-the-shelf insoles which might be sufficient. We have a rehabilitation team that can get you back to normal movement and pain-free movement.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What does gait analysis do?

A. Gait analysis assesses the way you walk, run, and mobilise mainly the joints of the lower limb.

Q. What is gait and its types?

A. The gait and its types include visual and video gait analysis including 3D foot.

Q. How long does the session take?

A. Typically about one hour.

Q. What are the differences between a running shop gait analysis and a clinical one?

A. running shop analysis only looks at foot posture and advises on appropriate footwear whereas a clinical gait analysis is performed by a podiatrist who can medically examine you in terms of your joint movements and your overall mobility.