Do I need a gait analysis?

July 06, 2024

Updated September, 5th, 2025

What is a gait analysis?

Your gait is the way you walk or run. A gait analysis is an assessment of how your body moves when you’re walking or running. It looks at your lower limb and foot movements and how they’re affecting your joints, muscles, posture and balance.

Why gait analysis is important

We’re all built differently and have differences in our foot posture, which may create different movement habits.

Sometimes these movement habits cause extra strain on our joints over time, causing discomfort and injury.

A gait analysis will identify any factors that are causing strain and give recommendations or treatment to correct and support you’re body’s movement.

Why would you need a gait analysis?

A gait analysis could be helpful if you:

  • Experience any pain when walking or running
  • Have had a previous injury that may have affected your gait
  • Are prone to ankle aches or sprains
  • Have foot, ankle, knee, hip, or back pain
  • Are interested in improving your posture and movement
  • Need personalised advice on footwear or orthotics.

What injuries can a gait analysis help?

Sports and running related injuries are some of the most common injuries to benefit from a gait analysis.

But it can also be used for identifying and treating conditions such as:

What does a gait analysis assess?

The most comprehensive gait analyses are carried out by healthcare professionals, like podiatrists and physiotherapists. These assessments can diagnose medical issues and make personalised recommendations for treating and correcting them.

Foot posture and mobility

Your foot alignment and mobility can impact the way your whole body moves.

During a gait analysis, your therapist will observe your foot posture and how this is influencing the way you walk or run.

The ideal foot alignment is neutral. When your foot hits the ground, it should roll forward evenly, from your heel to your toes, then push back up.

If your foot rolls excessively inwards (known as overpronation), or outwards (known as supination), this can cause discomfort in your knees, hips and back.

Stride length and cadence

To check your stride length, your podiatrist will record the length of your steps per minute (SPM). This will highlight good strides and overstriding.

Overstriding is when you extend your leg too far in front of you, so it’s beyond your centre of gravity.

If your knee is straight when your foot hits the ground, the impact will put stress on your lower leg, which can cause pain in your shins, knees and hips.

Leg alignment and movement

Your therapist will assess the alignment and stability of your knees and hips when you’re walking or running.

This will help them identify any twisting in your knees and see if your hips are dropping or rotating excessively as you move. They’ll also be able to see any difference in your leg lengths, which may be causing you to overcompensate.

If left uncorrected, problems like these can lead to pain and discomfort over time.

General posture

Issues with your posture can affect your balance and stability. This can increase your risk of falls.

To check your posture, your therapist will observe your spinal and pelvic alignment. They’ll also assess your left and right sides for evenness and symmetry in your movements.

Joint and muscle function

When you walk or run, you need your joints and muscles working together.

To test this, your therapist will look at the range of motion you have in your ankles, toes, knees, and hips. They’ll assess the muscle strength you have in your calves, glutes and core. And they’ll check the flexibility of your tendons and ligaments.

Footwear

The soles of your footwear will have wear and tear patterns that show how your foot is striking the ground.

Your therapist will check for uneven wear that could be a sign of a gait issue.

Who can benefit from a gait analysis?

A gait analysis can benefit anyone, at any age, whether or not they’re in pain.

It can help you understand how you move, support your foot type and prevent future aches and pains.

Athletes, sportspeople and runners

A gait analysis will give an insight into how your body moves while running, or performing sport-specific motions. It will highlight any issues early, before they become problems. And it will help to prevent injury, while improving your technique and performance.

Sports like running, football, rugby and hockey place stress on the foot, ankle and knees. They often require specialist orthotics to accommodate the special movements, positions, and forces you’re encountering.

If you’re recovering from an injury, a gait analysis can help with that, too.

Analysing your gait will pinpoint any issues or causes of pain so remedial action can be taken. That might be a change of footwear, using orthotic inserts or having physical therapy.

Adults

You’ll walk about 100,000 miles in your lifetime. The last thing you want is to be walking those miles in pain.

Minor misalignments in your feet can cause pain in your foot, ankle, knee, hip, or lower back. And ignoring these pains can lead to prolonged issues.

A gait analysis will identify any issues and suggest the best course of action to correct them. That could be something as simple as changing your footwear. And it could make a big difference to your movement overall.

Seniors

If you’re a senior, a gait analysis will identify issues with your balance, step length or shuffling that could increase your risk of falls.

It can also help you recover after surgery, and ensure you’re walking properly and safely.

Correcting any issues will help you stay mobile for longer and walk more comfortably, with less pain.

Children and teenagers

Young children may have flat feet if their arches don’t develop correctly. A gait analysis will identify any problems this might be causing, so interventions can be recommended.

As they reach adolescence, many children experience growth spurts, which can temporarily disrupt their coordination and balance. A gait analysis can help to monitor these changes, so early action can be taken where necessary.

Where to get a gait analysis

Some shoe shops offer gait analysis if you’re looking to buy new running shoes. The assistants are trained in observing your gait to recommend shoes, but they’re not qualified to diagnose or treat medical issues.

For that, you’d need to see a healthcare professional, like a podiatrist or physiotherapist.

Why have a gait analysis at Hatt Clinic?

You are unique — and so are your movement patterns.

That’s why our gait analysis has 5 key steps to help us understand and address any issues you might be having.

Our 5-step gait analysis

Step 1: Explore how your issues are affecting you

Our expert therapists will explore how your issues are affecting your daily activities and overall quality of life.

They’ll take into account factors, like your exercise routines and footwear choices to get a better understanding of your movement patterns.

Step 2: Observe your movement patterns

If you’re experiencing a particular problem or pain, our experts will start by observing your movement patterns.

They’ll be looking for any abnormalities or imbalances that may be contributing to your discomfort. And this will help them to determine where the problem is originating from.

Step 3: Diagnose the root cause of the problem

When we’ve determined the root cause, we’ll provide you with a clear and accurate diagnosis.

This may involve the use of advanced analysis tools to locate specific areas of concern.

Step 4: Create a personalised treatment plan

Upon diagnosis, we’ll tailor a personalised treatment plan for you. This may include a combination of:

Orthotic inserts are suitable for people of all ages. They’re custom-made for your foot and offer the exact correction required to realign your foot and restore its normal function.

Step 5: Provide ongoing support

Our expert team will provide you with ongoing support to accommodate any changes in your condition and ensure you’re on the right track to recovery.

Book a gait analysis at Hatt Clinic

Hatt Clinic offers two kinds of gait analysis:

Gait analysis

Our gait analysis pinpoints sources of pain or discomfort in your feet, knees, hips or back when you’re standing or walking. This allows us to offer corrective treatment.

To book a gait analysis, go to our online booking form and select initial gait analysis from the menu.

Running analysis

Our running analysis is a gait analysis for runners. It will give you a personalised assessment of your running form, to help you improve your technique and performance.

To book a running analysis, go to our online booking form and select initial gait analysis from the menu.

Alternatively, you can email us at: enquiries@hattclinic.co.uk

Or call the clinic:

Devizes: 01380 730473

Frome: 01672 516580

Marlborough: 01373 452604

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