Have you ever suffered from back, knee, or hip pain, and due to it, your walking pattern has changed? Then you should understand about gait cycle. Gait is the pattern by which the person walks. It has seven stages, and it occurs in succession with each other. The body’s muscles work to balance the external force of your weight connecting to the ground, the steps will be even, and the size of each step should be normal for the weight and height. If you have difficulty in your walking pattern, contact pelvic floor physiotherapy.
Things you should know about your walking pattern
A normal gait needs good coordination of moments between each step. Your body weight rests solely on one leg. The process occurs so fast that the individual may not realize it, but when one leg swings, the other leg holds them up. If the gait is expected, the person will feel like they are losing balance. Likewise, a person with a normal gait can easily walk on flat surfaces and not have to fear placing their step on the ground.
An abnormality in gait can cause the person’s walking pattern to be different from others. Different underlying conditions like degenerative diseases, injuries, or neurological disorders can cause abnormality in gait. Common symptoms include difficulty walking, limping, leg pain, and decreased overall mobility.
- Hemiplegic gait
It is a gait disorder that arises in individuals suffering from a brain injury or stroke. The gait can be characterized by paralysis and weakness on one side of the body, causing a shuffling, uneven, or dragging type of walk.
- Diplegic gait
It is a disorder described by spasticity in the leg muscle, generally caused by spinal cord or brain damage. This results in a “scissor gait” when the legs cross over while walking and difficulty with coordination and balance.
- Neuropathic gait
It refers to a change in walking patterns and movements caused due to disease or damage to the nervous system. It includes conditions such as peripheral neuropathy, affecting the nerves in limbs, or injury in the spinal cord.
- Myopathic gait
It is a walking pattern characterized by muscle disorders like myopathies. In myopathic gait, the person will have difficulty initiating movement, muscle weakness, or foot drop.
- Choreiform gait
It is an abnormal disorder characterized by jerky, irregular, or predictable movements of the limbs. You can see patients having Huntington’s disease, a genetic disorder affecting the Central Nervous System or brain.
