A gait assessment is an evaluation of a person’s manner of walking or running. The assessment can range from simple visual observation to sophisticated computerized analysis, and will often diagnose a problem caused by a medical condition or injury.
A gait assessment is used in medical care, geriatric care, physical therapy or functional sports care. A gait assessment can be used to help treat people with physically debilitating conditions such as cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, or spinal cord injuries. Additionally, it is also used to evaluate and maximize the performance of elite athletes.
How is it performed?
It usually involved watching a person walk towards and away from you, observing the length of the stride, arm movement, heel placement and angle of the pelvis. Other factors that are frequently evaluated are the symmetry of the stride and balance.
A gait assessment is often videotaped, so it is able to be reviewed and analyzed at slower speeds. This allows the person doing the analysis to see biomechanical abnormalities that might otherwise not be noticeable at regular speeds.
Who would perform a gait assessment?
Orthopedic doctors, or doctors who specialize in the musculoskeletal system including bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles, use gait assessments to help diagnose injuries that affect or inhibit everyday movements like walking or running.
Specifically, a DO Sports Medicine Doctor is specially trained to treat sports and orthopedic injuries. When an athlete is injured, this doctor performs a gait assessment to diagnose the injury and prescribe treatment, often in the form of physical therapy.
Gait assessments are also a useful way of evaluating and treating conditions that affect the elderly, and are therefore often used in geriatric care. As a person ages, their gait can be affected by an aging nervous and musculoskeletal system.
While it is an easy and relatively uncomplicated process, and can be easily performed without a lot of expensive equipment, it is an extremely helpful tool that can reveal a wide variety of physical or even neurological issues.
At VCOM Sports and Osteopathic Medicine, a gait assessment is used as a way to evaluate the needs of athletes and other patients. To schedule a gait assessment at our Blacksburg Va office, contact us at 540-232-8405.
