The field of gait analysis data is becoming more powerful all the time. Understanding the human gait – how the body moves from stride to stride while walking, trotting, jogging or running – is critical in maximizing athletic performance and preventing and healing injury.
A number of gait analysis systems exist, building off analog approaches that rely on simple observation of a person’s movement. Today, these systems have evolved astronomically, relying on feather-sensitive sensors and machine learning-based digital collection systems.
With access to such rich data sources, we’d be fools not to put it to work, healing people and helping maximize their performance. So, exactly what can gait analysis data tell us?
What Can Gait Analysis Data Tell Us About Pathologies?
Gait analysis data can provide so much information on a person’s movement that it is hard to summarize it in a single blog post. Among other things, it can inform your understanding of stride, strike force, float time, cadence and more. This can help runners and athletes increase their performance and reach ever-greater success.
Gait analysis data also provides extremely valuable insight into various pathologies.
Pronation and Supination
Among the most common problems with gait are pronation and supination. These are related but opposite foot gait issues:
- Pronation is when you put more of your weight on the inside of your foot, so that your ankles tilt toward one another.
- Supination is when your ankles roll away from one another, placing more pressure on the outside blade of your foot.
Either can significantly decrease the effectiveness of human motion and the gait cycle.
Impaired Range of Motion
Sometimes your limbs are not achieving full range of motion, and you don’t know why. Gait analysis data can inform both situations.
Balance
Sometimes you’re aware of balance issues, and sometimes you aren’t. Either way, they can significantly hamper your ability to walk or run. Gait analysis data can help you change your body mechanics to create better balance or help identify where balance problems are occurring, so you can address them, improving body mechanics.
Neurological Pathologies
Many neurological issues can result in improper gait. These include:
- Sensory problems
- Parkinson’s disease
- Hemiplegia
- Spastic diplegia
- Various types of neuropathy (nerve disorders)
- … and more
These have varying effects on the gait, from tremors and shakes to numbness and stiffness to slowness and difficulty moving the limbs altogether. Gait analysis data can identify the problems and provide early warning signs of serious issues.
Pain
If you or your patient is in pain much of the time and they don’t know why it could come down to a simple body mechanics problem. That doesn’t necessarily mean it is easy to treat, but the problem itself could be relatively straightforward, which gives you the starting point you need.
Proprioception
You know how you can move in the space around you without thinking about it? Grabbing a glass from the cabinet while looking at someone, moving along a sidewalk without thinking about the next step? This is proprioception, the body’s ability to navigate the physical environment without having to think through every movement, which would make life quite difficult.
Sometimes the body is partially unable to perform this function, however. When that happens, the foot and leg can do odd things while walking or running, and many of these are maladaptive.
How Do You Gather Gait Analysis Data?
You can gather gait analysis data in a variety of ways. The main components of any analysis system are sensors to track the motion and software to collate it and create a comprehensive picture of the body’s movement. That includes a pressure sensor and inertial sensor component, a wireless signal and a device to send gait analysis data in real-time.
Gait labs use complicated motion capture systems, including treadmills, force plates, or walkway and stance pads. They are an excellent place to perform repeated data collection exercises.
