Collection: Walking and Running Gait Analysis

Gait Analysis: Understanding Your Walking and Running Mechanics/Alignment

Definition of Gait Analysis

Gait analysis refers to the study of how you walk or run, focusing on your movement patterns and how they affect your body. Through a detailed gait assessment, we can evaluate how your feet, hips, lower back, and legs function during motion, providing crucial insights into any biomechanical issues that may be contributing to pain or discomfort in your feet, ankles, knees, or hips.

By observing your gait, we are able to identify muscle imbalances—both overactive and underactive muscles—that could lead to potential injuries or other complications. This helps us pinpoint specific areas that need attention and provides the foundation for a tailored treatment plan.

At Cherie Viljoen Podiatry, gait analysis plays a vital role in understanding your movement patterns. Whether you're dealing with recurring foot pain, from bunions, plantar fasciitis, or calluses, or suffering from hip or knee pain, it can often be linked to your foot biomechanics. By assessing how you move, we can offer personalized recommendations, including orthotics, therapeutic exercises, and strengthening strategies to improve your overall function and prevent future injuries.

How Gait Analysis Works

During your gait analysis session, you will be asked to stand, walk, and run. Our experienced podiatrists will closely observe how your feet interact with the ground and how these movements influence your posture and alignment. Through a combination of visual observation and detailed measurements, we assess the flow of your movement from the feet upwards, helping us understand how your gait may be contributing to discomfort or injury.

We use both video analysis and pressure scan technology for our assessments.

Based on this analysis, we can provide a comprehensive diagnosis and suggest a treatment plan that includes specific exercises, orthotics, or other interventions designed to alleviate pain and optimize your movement.

By incorporating gait analysis into your treatment, we can more effectively address foot and lower body alignment problems to effectively treat your presenting pain and mobility issues.