Walking and running are repetitive movements, and when part of the chain isn’t working well, it can lead to pain or reduced performance. A gait analysis identifies how your feet, legs, and hips move together and highlights any imbalances that affect your comfort or efficiency.
We use visual and video assessments to see how your body moves through each step, helping us understand the cause of symptoms and how to improve your movement.
Benefits of Our Gait Analysis
A podiatry gait analysis provides valuable information about how your joints and muscles behave during walking or running. For many people, it reveals patterns they were unaware of, such as the foot rolling in too far, the knee drifting inward, or the hip dropping during stance. Recognising these movement patterns allows us to guide you toward strategies that relieve discomfort and reduce the risk of reinjury.
Some of the key benefits include:
- Identification of biomechanical issues contributing to pain
- Better shock absorption and load distribution
- Footwear assessments and advice
- Exercise recommendations to improve strength and stability
- Lower risk of injury during walking, work or playing sports
Whether you walk daily for work, enjoy recreational running or are returning to activity after injury, gait assessment provides clarity and direction for your treatment plan.
What You Need to Know About Gait Analysis
Before assessing specific findings, it helps to understand what a gait analysis involves and why it is used.
What Is Gait Analysis?
Gait analysis examines how you walk or run to identify movement patterns that may contribute to pain or injury. Efficient gait depends on good joint mobility, balanced strength and coordinated movement. When one area isn’t working well, the body compensates, which can lead to discomfort or overuse issues.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Specific movement patterns may indicate the need for a gait assessment. Signs include:
- Hip dropping or shifting during stance
- Difficulty clearing the foot during the swing phase
- Foot slapping or a “foot drop” pattern
- Leaning too far forward
- Walking too far behind or ahead of your centre of gravity
- Poor balance or fear of falling
- Discomfort when walking uphill, downhill or on uneven surfaces
These issues may develop gradually or appear after an injury, stroke or neurological condition that affects weight-bearing or balance.
During your assessment, we look at both the visual presentation and the video breakdown of your gait. This helps us identify subtle patterns that often cannot be seen with the naked eye alone.
Gait Analysis Treatment
Gait analysis involves both a visual assessment and a detailed video analysis to fully understand how your body moves. We use advanced tools to break your movement into small segments, allowing us to see details such as foot position, stride length, joint angles and timing.
Visual and Treadmill Assessment
Your assessment may begin with walking or running on a treadmill. In some cases, observing you overground provides more natural information. We examine the feet, ankles, knees, hips and trunk to understand how each contributes to your overall gait.
Video Motion Analysis
We use computer-assisted video tools to record your gait frame by frame. By slowing the movement down, we can identify issues such as:
- Poor foot strike
- Excessive pronation or supination
- Knee tracking errors
- Hip instability
- Shortened stride or reduced push-off
- Asymmetry between the left and right sides
This technology helps highlight subtle patterns that may be contributing to discomfort or inefficient movement.
Understanding Biomechanical Abnormalities
Biomechanical issues often come from:
- Joint stiffness
- Reduced range of motion
- Muscle weakness
- Compensation from old injuries
- Changes following surgery
- Differences in leg length
- Poor balance or postural habits
Your assessment identifies the exact cause, not just the symptoms.
How It Works
Every functional gait analysis follows a structured approach:
Consultation
We begin by discussing your symptoms, activity levels and any past injuries. This helps us understand what you need from your gait, whether it’s comfort, stability, performance or rehabilitation.
Diagnosis
The video breakdown, visual examination and treadmill assessment allow us to identify specific movement issues. We explain our findings clearly so you understand how your body is moving and what may be contributing to discomfort.
Treatment Plan
Your personalised plan may include:
- Strengthening exercises
- Flexibility and mobility work
- Balance or stability training
- General and sports footwear assessments and advice
- Training adjustments for runners
- Orthotic therapy
- Strategies to reduce load or improve efficiency
These steps help improve your gait, reduce strain and support long-term movement comfort.
Follow-Up
Progress is monitored over time, particularly for runners or people rehabilitating after injury. Follow-up assessments allow us to refine your program and ensure you continue to move comfortably.
Why Choose Us?
Our gait assessments give you clear answers about how your body moves and why issues keep happening. We assess the entire movement pattern, explain what’s causing strain, and outline simple steps to improve comfort and stability. If you want to reduce pain, prevent injury or move more efficiently, our personalised approach provides the direction you need.
Contact us or book an appointment to begin a clearer, more comfortable approach to movement. We’re here to help you move with confidence, one step at a time.