What Is Gait Analysis?

Put simply, gait analysis is analyzing the way you walk and run. Gait analysis provides individuals with information about their body and their running style. It evaluates the biomechanics of how joints move in motion to diagnose poor running patterns and prevent injury.

Who would benefit?

Who wouldn’t benefit? Athletes — runners, triathletes, or basketball, volleyball, and soccer players will benefit. This also includes adults who are thinking about jogging for exercise and want to prevent injury, or adults who are already running and continue to feel aches and pains. Beginner, intermediate or professional athletes — anyone can benefit from running technique improvement.

Running gait analysis includes inspecting:

Feet

• anatomy
• arch analysis
• shoe choice
• weight distribution

Knees

• Alignment

Hips

• anterior hip flexibility

Upper extremity

• alignment
• arm movement during stride

Overall

• flexibility
• training schedule
• diet
• breathing
• cadence
• posture

Why do I need a gait analysis?

The average runner takes 160-170 steps PER MINUTE of running. That’s approximately 10,000 steps an hour!

Gait analysis can lead to proper alignment and distribution of weight — which can prevent injuries to the muscles (think tendonitis), bones (stress fractures) and joints (meniscus injuries). In addition, analysis can make a runner more efficient — able to run longer distances using the same amount of energy.

What do I need to bring?

Running clothes, your running shoes, and you!

Dr. Alexandra Matthews, OPI’s Sports Medicine Specialist, will methodically perform your running gait analysis and provide you with the information you need to reach your peak performance. Contact us for an appointment today!