Run Gait Analysis: Higher Technology Doesn't Mean Higher Quality

A few weeks ago I worked with a patient who had previously gone to a different clinic with a “higher technology” version of gait analysis. They brought me the report, and it was three pages of numbers, all measured with a graphic that showed green for “good” and red for “bad”. As an expert who has read a lot of gait research and has been trained specifically for running gait, I was able to decipher it, but only barely. It categorized the patient as a “collapser”,  language that is not useful and brushed over the specifics of why it categorized them as such. The rest of the packet was generic for that categorization and included cues and exercises to address it. 

The key word here is “generic”. I  can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried certain cues with patients, only to find that it either didn’t land or was difficult for them to incorporate. It’s this expertise that makes us good at what we do and experts on run gait analysis. 

Full transparency - we’ve discussed buying more gait analysis technology several times over - different apps, systems, and programs. We use gait analysis as a cornerstone of  treatment for runners, often performing them several times a day, so of course we would get good use out of it. But the question is, is that best for our athletes? Each time we open the door we’ve ultimately decided to keep it shut, and you deserve to know why. 

The magic of a gait analysis is in the interpretation of the information and intervention that follows. So much of running form is dynamic - the static numbers that we get from software doesn’t tell the whole story. Our trained eyes can pick out where an athlete is compensating for strength or range of motion deficits, and of course we have to correlate this with our clinical exam. As useful as the gait analysis is, there is a whole clinical assessment that colors in the rest of the plan of care. 

We are able to take into account your running history, injury history, goals, and anatomical nuances in a way that isn’t encompassed by numbers. We can put all of the pieces of the puzzle together to figure out why you’re limited in hip extension, overstriding, or running with a less than ideal cadence. We can also decide what metric is most important to change - oftentimes there is one cue to adjustment we can make that helps with other gait abnormalities we may be seeing. 

It’s not about achieving perfect running form. It’s about achieving the best running form for you. 

We all are going to move differently. Gait is developmental, genetic and experiential. While technology can help us put numbers on biomechanics, it doesn’t tell us how to fix it. That is where the human element comes in. 

If you’re a runner seeking gait analysis, look for the expertise, not the technology. Who is interpreting the data and teaching you how to address it? The fancy technology means nothing without a direction forward. 

Your gait analysis curmudgeon,

Dr. Kacy Seynders, PT, DPT, OCS