Gait Analysis

Gait analysis is the systematic assessment of how a person walks or runs, used to link symptoms to how the limbs are loaded.

Watching someone move reveals pain, weakness, stiffness and neurological problems that a static examination can miss. In sport and exercise medicine (SEM) and musculoskeletal (MSK) practice it guides diagnosis, footwear and orthotic decisions, rehabilitation and return to sport. Most gait analysis in clinic is observational, with instrumented tools when more detail is needed. Running mechanics are covered in the running and movement biomechanics topic.