Gait Analysis and Movement Retraining

Gait analysis is one of the most powerful diagnostic tools available to a sports physiotherapist, and one of the most underutilised in standard physiotherapy practice. The way a patient walks and runs encodes information about the strength, mobility, neuromuscular control, and biomechanical efficiency of the entire lower limb kinetic chain. Pelvic drop in stance phase reflects hip abductor weakness. Excessive foot pronation reflects medial arch weakness or restriction in ankle dorsiflexion. Overstriding and heel striking reflect running technique errors that increase impact loading and injury risk. Asymmetric arm swing reflects asymmetric thoracic rotation mobility.

Gait analysis at this practice uses video assessment during both walking and running (at clinical speeds and, where relevant, at training speeds) to identify the specific patterns driving the patient's complaint. The analysis generates a targeted retraining programme that addresses the root causes of the faulty pattern: the specific muscles that need to be strengthened, the specific joints that need to be mobilised, and the specific movement habits that need to be retrained. Gait retraining is integrated into the patient's return-to-running programme and monitored with repeat video assessment at defined intervals.