Learn How to Improve Your Child's Walking

Many things affect a child's ability to walk. Some are mild and resolve themselves while others are severe, worsen over time or simply can't be explained. Today's technology is providing medical professionals at Shriners Hospital an in-depth look at the intricate movements required for walking. The same Hollywood technology that wowed us with the movie Avatar is helping doctors determine how to best treat children who have difficulty walking. In Shriners Motion Analysis Laboratory, physical therapists conduct gait analysis that allows them to focus on the independent movements required for walking.

A gait analysis examines each patient's unique walking pattern. The study provides previously unavailable information about how joints move, the force required to make the movement and the amount of control the patient has over his or her legs in the process. Because we take walking for granted, we don't realize that there are a number of events that must occur in specific sequence in order to produce a smooth gait. There are five precise movements that make-up a gait cycle; the initial right leg step, the toes of the left foot leaving the floor, the left leg step, the toes of the right foot leaving the floor and another step with the right leg. Additionally, there are two phases within the gait cycle; the stance and the arc of how the leg swings when making a step. By examining each of these movements individually, a gait analysis provides a better overall view of the patient's mobility.

The study is conducted in a large room outfitted with 8 high-speed digital cameras. A total of twenty-six reflective markers, with attached wires are placed on the patient's arms, pelvis, legs, feet and face. The cameras use those markers to track the child's movements as he or she walks. Detailed motion information is then sent to a computer where a 3D image is created. The image resembles a dot-to-dot puzzle with colored lines crossing and connecting from one marker to the next. There is a line that represents each of the legs and another that acts as a comparison, providing expected results from an average child of the same age but without impaired mobility.

In addition to the cameras, special plates lie within the floor. The plates record the amount of pressure the patient exerts on his or her feet when taking a step. Together the plates, cameras and markers work in unison to decipher the number of steps taken, the speed in which they are taken, the degree of the swing of the leg and how each muscle responds to each event and phase of the gait cycle.

Once the technical portion of the study is done, a physical therapist conducts a hands-on examination measuring, among other things, the patient's range of motion. All of this information is compiled and analyzed by the professionals in the motion lab. They then send a detailed report of the study's findings to your child's physician. An appointment will then be scheduled for you to return and go over the results and recommendations of the doctor.

If your child has difficulty walking you may want to ask your pediatrician if a referral for a gait analysis would be beneficial. If your child is referred for the study, it may take months to get an appointment because not every Shriners Hospital has a motion lab. The test takes approximately three hours and you will need to return on a different date to see a doctor and get the results.

Shriners Hospitals accepts all patients regardless of ability to pay. Because the hospitals are spread throughout the country, you may need to travel. Individuals in need of transportation may be eligible to be picked-up by a Shriners van. Visit the hospital website at www.shrinershq.org for more information or to find a hospital near you.

If you are able to pay or make a donation of any amount, please do so. The gait analysis is performed with the same highly sophisticated, outrageously expensive technology Hollywood uses to produce blockbuster films. The only difference is that Shriners isn't investing in entertainment that offers millions of dollars in return. They are investing in and changing lives, one child at a time.

Sources

White, Hank, PT, PhD Shriners Hospital, Lexington, KY

Shriners Hospitals for Children Motion Analysis Pamplet

http://www.cybergolf.com/golf_news/pop_star_enjoys_hosting_tournament