Do you suffer from pain in your feet, legs, pelvis or back? Often, the cause of this complaint can be found remotely from the location of discomfort. Measuring the movement pattern of the body helps to find the source of the complaint. Gait analysis assists in determining this source. Runner Louise, relates her experience — “I started running years ago. I enjoy competition and love being outdoors. Recently, however, I have found my recovery takes longer and those little niggles harder to shake off. A club colleague mentioned gait analysis. So, I gave APOS a call to try it out. Alana, the clinician, was very professional and spoke in plain language. It proved helpful.”
But what is gait analysis? Gait analysis provides extensive biomechanical information relating to muscle function, spinal posture alignment, foot pressure and gait assessment. It assists registered medical professionals such as prosthetist/orthotists in determining the causes of pain arising from poor alignment or gait and foot malfunction.
And what about Louise? “Gait analysis indicated a slight leg discrepancy. My left leg is marginally longer than my right. Alana was immediately able to offer a solution and I am running better and pain free.”
Gait analysis offers solutions in order to improve the quality of life and performance across a range of activities including walking, running, sport and dance. In addition, a full report is generated that facilitates the choice of optimal footwear, possibly with orthotics, based on the body’s mapped movement pattern. This can lead to prevention of further injuries and performance gains. By highlighting problems at feet, knee, hip or spine at an early stage, gait analysis promotes appropriate action in preventing chronic problems.
A comprehensive, clinical, technological based analysis and assessment is currently available at APOS, Kilcolgan. Call 091796983 or email [email protected] for more information.
