Virtual Gait Studies: What’s Included

Your child’s gait report (the product of their virtual gait study) will include the following information:

Introduction and Summary

  • An introduction of your child, their health history, and your goals with gait analysis

  • A summary of my findings and recommendations for next steps (this will also be explained in detail, but a summary is provided right at the beginning for those quick answers you’re looking for!)

Gait Education

  • A thorough but easy-to-understand description of what I would expect to see in your child’s walking pattern based on their age, current milestone progression, and any underlying diagnoses, injuries, or surgeries that you have shared. This will include pictures and descriptions to help you follow along.

Gait Analysis (Barefoot/Minimal Intervention)

  • Analysis and comparison of the following areas of movement and alignment against an ideal walking pattern (keeping in mind that this will vary depending upon your child’s age and current milestones).

  • Each bullet point listed will be analyzed from front/back (anterior/posterior) and side (lateral) views, through all 8 phases of the walking pattern, during comfortable walking:

    • Your child’s barefoot walking pattern with the least amount of assistance possible (utilizing adult support or assistive devices only if necessary for safe walking)

    • Foot, ankle, knee, and hip positioning

    • Trunk and pelvic positioning

    • Shoulder, head, and neck positioning

    • Arm swing

    • Eye gaze, visual awareness, and proprioceptive awareness

  • For each of the 8 phases of the walking pattern you will receive feedback on the following points, from all four views:

    • Bone/joint malalignment (with measurements)

    • Poor body positioning

    • Poor gait mechanics

    • Likely primary, secondary, and tertiary gait deviations and subsequent compensatory mechanisms

    • Areas of possible muscle or ligament tightness, shortening, or lengthening (with measurements)

    • Areas of possible muscle weakness

    • Areas of possible hypermobility (with measurements)

    • Areas of possible skeletal asymmetry, including signs of difference in bone length or scoliosis

    • Analysis of proprioceptive and visual awareness

Standing Analysis (Barefoot/Minimal Intervention)

Analysis of alignment of the following areas, during comfortable standing, from four views:

  • Feet (Hind foot, mid foot, and forefoot)

  • Ankles

  • Knees

  • Hips

  • Pelvis

  • Trunk

  • Arms

  • Shoulders

  • Neck

  • Head

Gait and Standing Analysis (Intervention Comparison)

Included in your child’s gait analysis is the option for a free comparison report. While my initial gait analysis is completed with your child barefoot and/or utilizing minimal assistance possible to walk, you or your child’s providers may find it helpful for me to analyze their walking pattern and standing while utilizing assistive devices to better determine what is working, and what isn’t. Examples of interventions you might wish to use for a comparison report include:

  • Orthotic inserts or bracing

  • Prosthetic(s)

  • Walkers

  • Gait trainers

  • Forearm crutches

This comparison report will include all points of analysis included in your child’s both your child’s barefoot walking analysis, and standing analysis.

Recommendations and Next Steps

Your child’s gait report will include a great deal of valuable information, but I will take care to make this information as easy-to-understand as possible. You can expect to see recommendations for next steps in the following areas as applicable. Not every point will apply to every child. Any included recommendations will be completely customized to your child, their case, and their goals.

Your child’s analysis also includes a completely free video call to discuss their results, as well as unlimited support for 6 months following their analysis.

Primary Care Provider:

  • Recommendations on discussions to have with your child’s primary care provider (pediatrician) and specific questions or resources to ask about

Specialty Providers:

  • Recommendations on discussions to have with your child’s specialty providers (as applicable) and specific questions or resources to ask about. In some cases pursuit of a specialty provider may be recommended, and in this case the exact type of provider and care to seek will be included

Therapists:

  • Recommendations for therapy interventions (including the type of therapy and specific areas to focus on if your child is not actively in therapy)

  • Recommendations for areas of focus in therapy (for children who are actively in therapy but a strange or unique walking patterns seems to persist)

Orthotists or Prosthetists:

  • New users: Recommendations on discussions to have an orthotist or prosthetist regarding orthotic or prosthetic interventions that your child may benefit from (specific and detailed recommendations will be included)

  • Existing users: Recommendations on discussions to have with your child’s orthotist or prosthetist regarding adjustments to existing orthotics or prosthetics (specific and detailed adjustment recommendations will be included)

Family:

  • Recommendations on at-home stretching, strengthening, or balance exercises to incorporate for children who are not in therapies, who are taking a break from therapies, do not qualify for therapies, or who are not yet ready to pursue therapies

  • Recommendations on at-home orthotic management to try. This is most likely to be applicable for children who are not already orthotic users, or would best benefit from off-the-shelf or at-home interventions

  • Recommendations on adjustments to assistive devices* (devices specific to walking)

  • Recommendations on at-home changes to footwear

What families and providers are saying…

  • “Heather is the first person to recognize the signs that my son is probably hypermobile and shows some early signs of scoliosis. I have both of these things so I thought I would recognize them in my son, but with him some of the signs were different. Instantly so many things started making sense once we had this information! Even his pediatrician was impressed at how quickly Heather picked up on the subtle differences in how he walks and the struggles he has with certain activities. We’re now working with an local orthotist to get orthotic supports for him, and have a referral to see an orthopedist about his spinal curves.”

    - Client family

  • “My daughter has worn AFOs since she could walk, but certain things have always been a struggle, like going up and down hills, and knee pain when hiking. Heather was able to help us determine that while some parts of her AFOs were working really well for her, there were some adjustments our local orthotist could make that would improve her efficiency and decrease her pain. The very first time she walked downhill after these changes she told me “Mom, my knees don’t hurt anymore.” We would have done this YEARS ago if we had known this was an option!”

    - Client family