This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Gait

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Gait is the manner of walking; important points in its examination include:

  • good visibility of the legs
  • ease of rising to feet without support, with the feet together or with the eyes closed
  • ask the patient to walk normally for about 5 metres, turn round and walk back
  • ask the patient to walk heel-to-toe - testing for cerebellar disease
  • ask the patient to stand with the feet together
    • with eyes open - testing cerebellar and posterior column function
    • with eyes closed - testing posterior column function
  • on toes alone - impossible with S1 lesions
  • on heels alone - impossible if L4 / L5 lesion
  • any abnormality should be carefully described, including requirements of stick, frame or other support

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.