What should you know about foot gait analysis?

An assessment may begin with your symptoms, footwear, previous injuries, and activity goals. You may then walk or run while a clinician observes stride, balance, foot roll, joint motion, and how the two sides compare. A pressure plate gait scanner can map where the sole accepts load, while 3D motion capture can track movement through the feet, legs, and pelvis. These tools add information to a physical examination; a scan does not by itself prove the cause of pain.

The findings can help identify a movement pattern to address, guide exercise selection, or inform whether footwear changes and custom orthotics are worth considering.

Wear the shoes you normally use for the activity that causes concern, unless the clinic gives different instructions. Bring a short record of when symptoms occur and mention recent changes in training, work, footwear, or terrain. During the assessment, describe pain rather than trying to alter your natural stride. Use the findings as part of a plan that may include strength, mobility, balance, technique, or gradual load changes.

Gait analysis is not a substitute for urgent care after a serious injury. Seek prompt medical attention for an inability to bear weight, a visibly deformed foot, rapidly increasing swelling, new numbness, a cold or discoloured foot, or severe pain after trauma. Persistent pain also deserves a clinical examination before focusing only on walking mechanics.

Ask what the assessment will measure, whether you will be tested barefoot and in shoes, and how the results connect to your symptoms. Ask how progress will be rechecked and what action you should take if pain changes.