Lets test your visual skills again.

This is a 7 year old with gait abnormalities that has hypertrophied calves and difficulty with attention span (what 7 year old doesn’t) and being “slightly behind in learning”. This young lad was brought in by his mom because other therapists had felt they had reached an end point of care and was offered little from the allopathic physicians they visited.

Watch his gait cycle several times and see if you note the following:

• exaggerated upper body movement
• increased progression angle (r foot particularly)
• toe walking gait
• wide base of gait with running

Physical exam findings reveal

·       cavus foot

·       ankle dorsiflexion at 0 degrees

·       intact lower extremity reflexes, sensation and motor strength

·       general weaker upper body strength (particularly shoulders)

Rather than play “name the pathology”, lets concentrate on what we would do for this young man.

·       Increase ankle dorsiflexion and ankle rocker

·       Increase hip extension and gluteal recruitment

·       Increase proproioception

·       Increase coordination

·       Increase upper body strength

The Gait Guys. Helping you to see things more clearly and find solutions to complex gait challenges.

Special thanks to JM for allowing us to present this teaching case.