Gait Disorders
Physical therapy can help you get back on your feet in Salt Lake City.
What Is a Gait Disorder?
Whether you have developed a limp after rolling your ankle, notice your walking changes when your back hurts, or feel unsteady with every step, Cutting Edge Physical Therapy can identify what is affecting your gait and help you move with greater confidence.
Gait is the pattern of a person’s walking. Walking requires intricate coordination of the musculoskeletal system, with precise timing among muscles, joints, and nerves to propel the body forward rhythmically. Although walking may seem ordinary, its importance becomes clear when it becomes painful, limited, or dysfunctional.
Gait abnormalities are irregular motions or other changes in walking and running patterns. Even relatively minor concerns, such as foot problems or ill-fitting shoes, can interfere with normal gait and potentially lead to dysfunction. Gait disorders may include imbalance, shuffling, frequent falls, staggering, freezing in place, asymmetrical stepping, or limping.
Changes in gait can happen at any age. Our physical therapists are experienced in identifying the root cause of walking difficulties and addressing the factors that interfere with your ability to walk normally.
What Can Cause Changes in Walking?
Underlying medical conditions as well as orthopedic and neurological concerns can cause or worsen gait problems. A thorough evaluation helps determine which systems may be contributing to your symptoms.
Neurological conditions
Brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, and spinal cord compression can affect sensory or motor control and alter gait.
Orthopedic disorders and injuries
Osteoarthritis, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, joint degeneration, spine or lower-extremity injuries, and skeletal deformities can change range of motion, strength, stride length, cadence, and weight-bearing.
Medical and vestibular issues
Heart failure, respiratory insufficiency including COPD, peripheral arterial occlusive disease, peripheral vascular disease, obesity, and vestibular disorders or vertigo may affect stamina, stability, and safe walking.
Your Gait Assessment at Cutting Edge Physical Therapy
High-quality outpatient physical therapy with an individualized plan designed around you.
How Physical Therapy Helps Restore Your Gait
Your personalized plan is based on the results of your assessment and may combine targeted exercise, retraining, education, and practical strategies for safer, more functional movement.
Mobility and Strengthening
Targeted stretching can improve motion in joints limiting your natural gait. We also address core, hip, pelvic, and lower-extremity weakness that can affect stride length, cadence, and fall risk.
Gait Retraining
Your therapist observes how you walk and provides individualized cues and drills. Training can range from weight shifts for difficulty bearing weight on one leg to foot-placement and gaze cues for more advanced walking patterns.
Balance, Coordination, and Devices
Balance drills may progress from single-leg standing to coordinated movement activities. When appropriate, we assess, fit, and practice use of assistive devices such as walkers, canes, crutches, or hiking sticks to support safe independence.
Care That Supports Safer Movement
Gait changes often overlap with other movement concerns. Cutting Edge Physical Therapy can help address related symptoms such as balance difficulty, ankle pain, back pain, sciatica, and recovery after surgery or injury.
Balance Disorders
Explore physical therapy strategies for dizziness, instability, fall risk, and vestibular-related balance concerns.
Fall Risk Assessment
Learn about an assessment designed to identify factors that may affect stability and safe mobility.
Neuromuscular Re-education
See how targeted movement training can help improve coordination and movement control.
Ready to improve your walking ability?
If pain, weakness, imbalance, or unsteadiness is making it hard to walk normally, seek help. Our Salt Lake City physical therapists can help you improve your gait, restore function, and get back to doing what you love.