Posture and Gait Analysis

What is Posture and Gait Assessment?

A posture and gait analysis or assessment is a diagnostic test, which indicates how the entire body functions as one. It can help reveal weaknesses or abnormalities, which may cause pain or other health problems.

Posture and gait assessments are most commonly used to diagnose musculo-skeletal problems. They are also used to assess physical development of children, breathing disorders, injuries, health conditions after traumas such as strokes and more.

How is a Posture and Gait Analysis Performed?

A posture and gait assessment is performed using a variety of techniques. The evaluator watches the patient perform a variety of motions, including walking, sitting, and standing. Balance, range of motion, and stride are among some of the activities assessed. The focus is on the functionality of the ankle, feet, knees, hips, pelvis, lumbar spine, cervical spine, rib cage, scapulae, shoulders and head and how they all function together.

What Can a Posture and Gait Assessment Reveal?

A posture and gait assessment can reveal muscle tightness, origins of pain and postural issues which may impair breathing or other bodily functions. It can indicate locations that cause referred pain.

Referred pain is not felt in the location of the impairment but in an entirely different area of the body. Causes of referred pain are difficult to determine with X-ray and other imaging techniques. A health care provider who has received specialized training in posture and gait analysis may be able to spot the cause easily.

During a posture assessment and gait assessment, the evaluator directly observes the body in motion. Many impairments can not be witnessed when the body is still, such as in a CT or MRI scanner. Direct observation by a highly skilled expert is the only way to make a correct diagnosis.

Things the physician will look for include parts of your body that might appear slightly extended or hyperextended, body or posture tilts, the plane of your shoulders, plantar flexion, hip flexors, hamstring functionality and more.

What Else Do I Need To Know About Posture and Gait Analysis?

A comprehensive posture and gait analysis is much more than having a physician just briefly examine your back and extremities or watch a patient briefly move across an examining room. A complete and thorough posture and gait assessment can reveal a great deal about the health of your body.

To find out more about posture analysis and gait analysis, please contact and consult with a local licensed physician who specializes in this therapy.

To find local licensed professionals who provide Gait Analysis, Posture Analysis and Assessment, Click Here