Why Have A Gait Analysis?

Ever heard of the expression “Start from the ground up”? Well, that saying applies perfectly to you body. If you have issues with the way in which your foot strikes the ground, it will normally lead to more issues higher up, in your knee, hip, and lower back to name but a few.

The average UK resident walks between 3,000 and 4,000 steps per day, that equates to nearly 1.5 million steps a year, so you can just imagine how any issues in your gait (the way you walk) can cause significant pain and problems.

Now that’s just the average step count, imagine if you have a job which requires you to be on your feet all day, or you play a sport which means you run for a significant amount of time putting even more pressure through your feet and legs.

Let’s say for instance you are a heel striker, which means you heel touches the ground before the rest of your foot, this could mean that you have significant pain and tightness in your achillies and calf muscles as they are overworking.

You may be thinking that it’s only runners that need to have a gait analysis, but that simply isn’t the case. Imagine a cricket bowler, every time they run in to bowl they may be putting extreme amounts of strain on certain joints because their feet aren’t landing correctly.

Or how about a nurse, statistics show that a nurse in the UK walk on average somewhere between 10,000 to 20,000 per shift, now if they aren’t walking correctly you can just picture how much pain they will be in at the end of a long day on their feet.

What sets MJH Gait Analysis apart from other services is the fact that I am completely independent. Most of companies that provide gait analysis do so for free, under the proviso that you buy a product from them, whether that be an expensive pair of trainers, or insoles, heel raiser etc. MJH Gait Analysis is not affiliated with any trainer or sports wear company, so you know that anything I recommend is done so in your best interest.

F.A.Q’s

Below are just some of the questions I get asked, if your question is not covered please get in touch below & I shall be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Q. Should I have a gait analysis if I’m not a runner?

Absolutely, if you suffer from any lower limb pain, a gait analysis could be extremely beneficial in showing you how your foot strikes the ground, and how that may be causing you various issues every time you take a step.

Q.  What will I expect on arrival?

On an initial visit you will be asked to fill out a consultation form which contains a  number of questions concerning your general health & well-being, injuries and current medical conditions that I should know about, in order to determine if there are any contraindications that may prevent an analysis be taken. I will then run through various range of movement and resistance tests. Once these tests have been completed you will begin walking on the treadmill for a few minutes, before I ask you to run at a comfortable pace. Once you reach a comfortable pace I will begin to use video software to record you running style.

Q. What should I wear?

Put simply, you just need to wear clothes that you feel comfortable running/walking in. If you a wear a certain pair of shoes when exercising then please wear those, so we can get a better judgement of your gait.

Q. What happens after the Gait Analysis?

Upon completion I will give a quick breakdown of the results form the gait analysis. You will then receive an email from me in the evening containing a full breakdown of your results, along with any advice. Whether that be certain stretches or exercises I feel you need to undertake, or any insoles, certain types of trainers you may want to look at purchasing to aid you in obtaining a more neutral gait.