Is gait analysis done with a pressure plate gait scanner?

A pressure plate records how the soles of the feet contact the ground while you stand, walk, or run across its surface. It can help a clinician review pressure distribution, timing of foot contact, and differences between the left and right sides. The findings are interpreted with your symptoms, footwear, joint movement, muscle control, and walking pattern. A scan alone does not diagnose every cause of pain.

Wear comfortable clothing and bring the shoes you normally use for the activity being assessed. Tell the clinician where symptoms occur, when they appear, and whether they change with speed, hills, or sport. You may be asked to walk several times so the result reflects a repeatable pattern. Follow the advised activity plan after the assessment instead of changing training based only on a coloured pressure image.

Arrange prompt medical assessment for sudden inability to bear weight, a visibly deformed foot or ankle, rapidly increasing swelling, new numbness or weakness, or a foot that becomes unusually cold or changes colour. A pressure scan is not a substitute for urgent examination after a significant injury.

Ask which part of your gait is being assessed, whether you will be tested barefoot or in shoes, and how the results relate to your pain or activity goals. You can also ask whether another examination is needed before starting exercises or changing footwear.