Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you do a gait analysis?
If pain keeps coming back even after treatment, you have to find the change in movement that came before the pain.
Quick answer:
In most cases, the area that hurts is not where the problem began.
A gait analysis is not a test that looks at the pain.
It is a test that looks at the ‘movement’ that had already changed before the pain ever appeared.
Why the painful spot isn’t the cause
When something goes wrong in the body, it rarely shows up as pain right away.
Most problems begin first as a change in movement.
Movement changes first
- Reduced range of motion in a joint
- Asymmetric use of left and right sides
- Subtle distortions in weight distribution
- Overuse of a specific area
You don’t notice these changes yourself.
Everyday movements still work, and daily life isn’t significantly affected.
Pain that only shows up during movement
- It’s fine when standing, but hurts when walking
- Pain only at a certain speed or distance
- Knee and lower-back pain only when climbing stairs
In these cases, static tests (MRI or X-ray) struggle to find the cause.
That’s because the problem only reveals itself during movement.
(injury, bad habits)
(unnoticed by you)
(load shifts to other areas)
(somewhere other than the cause!)
Where the pain appears is not where the problem began
Why ‘the way you walk’ specifically?
Walking isn’t a movement that uses just one area.
It’s a complex movement in which the joints, muscles, nervous system, and balance control of the whole body work at the same time.
What makes walking unique
- Repeated every day as part of daily life
- No conscious control is involved
- The body’s current state shows up in the most natural way
What walking reveals
- Left-right asymmetry
- Changes in stride, reduced speed
- Distortion in weight transfer
- Differences in how joints are used
Gait analysis = a test that reveals the whole body’s movement patterns and compensation structure all at once
The core value of a gait analysis
“Not a test that looks at the pain,
but a test that looks at the ‘movement’
that had already changed before the pain appeared”
Trace where the cause started
Where the body first began to lose its balance
Identify compensation patterns
How the body has been building up compensation
Grounds for early intervention
Catching the problem before it surfaces
It’s not the starting point of treatment,
but the starting point for recognizing the problem.
Do I need a gait analysis even if I have no pain?
Yes. In fact, it’s even more meaningful then.
Movement changes appear before pain does.
Even when there’s no pain, we can trace where and in which direction the problem started.
From a prevention standpoint: If one side of your shoes wears down faster, if people tell you your walk looks off, or if a certain area gets uncomfortable after long walks, it’s worth checking before the pain sets in.
Worried about your posture? We can check not only your static posture but also how your posture changes during movement. We also analyze patterns like a shoulder tilting or the pelvis rotating as you walk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can’t I just treat the area that hurts?
Pain is the result of accumulated compensation. In most cases, the spot where the pain shows up is not where the problem first began. If you don’t find where the cause started, the pain comes back even after treatment.
Q. What can a gait analysis tell me?
It can reveal your whole-body movement patterns, left-right asymmetry, changes in stride and speed, distortions in weight transfer, and differences in how your joints are used. From this, we can objectively understand where the body first began to lose its balance and how it has been building up compensation.
Q. Can’t an MRI or X-ray do the job?
Imaging tests confirm structural damage. But even with the same structure, pain differs from person to person. A gait analysis looks at movement patterns rather than structure. Imaging and gait analysis provide different kinds of information, and using them together allows for a more accurate diagnosis.
Q. How is treatment done after the analysis?
Based on the gait analysis results, we identify the starting point of the problem and then treat it through the three stages of Circulation Therapy (Downshift → Activate → Integrate). The ‘Integrate’ stage in particular corrects faulty movement patterns to reduce recurrence risk.
Worth reading together
Other commonly asked questions
The gait analysis is included free with Circulation PT treatment.
We build a personalized treatment plan based on the analysis results.
From the cause of pain to treatment, all in one
The gait analysis is provided free with Circulation PT treatment.
Book a Circulation PT consultationReferences
- Kibler WB et al. The role of core stability in athletic function. Sports Med. 2006;36(3):189-198.
- Ellenbecker TS, Aoki R. Step by step guide to understanding the kinetic chain concept in the overhead athlete. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2020;13(2):155-163. PMID 32172436
- Whittle MW. Gait Analysis: An Introduction. 4th ed. Butterworth-Heinemann; 2007.
- Perry J, Burnfield JM. Gait Analysis: Normal and Pathological Function. 2nd ed. SLACK Incorporated; 2010.