Gait Rehabilitation Surrey BC

Gait training or gait rehabilitation is a comprehensive process that involves a team of healthcare professionals who work together to help individuals regain the ability to walk.

The process starts with a thorough assessment of the individual’s gait cycle to identify any deviations or abnormalities. This is followed by the development of a personalized treatment plan that may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and the use of assistive devices or orthotics.

Gait training may be necessary for individuals who have experienced a wide range of conditions or injuries that affect their ability to walk, including stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, and amputation, among others.

The goal of gait training is to help individuals regain their independence and improve their overall quality of life by teaching them how to walk safely and effectively on their own.

Gait training can be useful for people with the following conditions:

Amputation and after Prosthetic fitment
Osteoarthritis
Muscular Dystrophy
Cerebral Palsy
Stroke
Polio
Spinal cord injury
Parkinson’s Disease
MS
Brain and spinal cord injuries
After surgery
Sports injury

Although gait training with parallel bars, treadmills and support systems can be beneficial, the long-term aim of gait training is usually to reduce patients’ dependence on such technology in order to walk more in their daily lives.

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Gait Cycle

A gait cycle is defined as the progression of movements that occurs before one leg can return to a certain position during walking, or ambulation (image of gait cycle diagram)

Any gait training addressing a gait abnormality starts with a proper gait analysis. Observational, video, electromyographic and force plate techniques are few of them for assessing different parameters of gait. The cheapest way consists of observational combined with a video gait analysis, but more quantitative analysis can be done with integrating force vectors from a force plate and joint angle motion data incorporated through myoelectric sensors.

Basically, kinetic and kinematic analysis are done for gait, the former consisting of the forces resulting in and from walking and latter consists of describing the visible components such as joint angles and distances covered.

The gait consists of a series of repetitive movements of the whole-body during locomotion and is studied considering that each gait cycle repeats over itself, which is almost correct considering normal subjects.

The basic two phases are swing and stance phases, depending on whether the leg is free to swing or is in contact with the ground during the phase of gait studied.

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Assistive Devices

Assistive devices (ADs) are given to patients who have difficulty maintaining a regular gait cycle or balance due to an injury to one or both of their legs.

Other factors that would necessitate use of an AD include loss of perception in the legs, weakness of the legs, pain while walking, and a history of falling, among other indications.

Not only does an AD provide extra support, it can also protect the injured leg and prevent it from being further aggravated due to weight bearing requirements. Different ADs are assigned to each patient depending on the severity of their condition and how much extra support they need provided. The following list presents the ADs from the least supportive to the most supportive.

Straight cane
Lofstrand crutches
Axillary crutches
Walkers
Parallel Bars
gait trainers

Weight Bearing Status

The type of gait that a patient is instructed in is based on their weight-bearing status, or how much of their body weight can be supported on their legs, coordination, and strength. There are different levels of weight-bearing status that is determined by the physician.

The weight-bearing status of a patient generally changes as treatment progresses, but each progression needs to be approved by the physician. In many cases the easiest way to monitor a patient’s weight bearing status is to use two scales, one under each foot, and to adjust the weight on each foot until the injured foot is supported the desired amount of weight.

There are four different weight-bearing statuses.

Non-Weight Bearing (NWB)
Touch-Down Weight Bearing (TDWB) or Toe Touch Weight Bearing (TTWB)
Partial Weight Bearing (PWB)
Weight Bearing as Tolerated (WBAT)

Providing trusted care since 2014

Our Surrey based clinic provides Gait Rehabilitation services since 2014. We have served thousands of happy clients with over 240+ Google Reviews and an overall 4.8* rating. We attribute this to our expertise and focus on achieving client goals.