How to Do Gait Training With Orthotics

Gait training is a term for the process of learning how to walk. More specifically, this term refers to training specifically for an injury, degenerative disease or imbalance causing a gait dysfunction. The use of orthotics in gait training is recommended, and is often necessary to gain a safe and sometimes pain-free gait. Gait training is usually done with the assistance of a qualified health-care professional and through an accredited health-care facility. You can help someone achieve safe and normal walking through gait training and with orthotics.

Things You'll Need

• Parallel bars
• An even floor
• Notepad

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Instructions

• 1

  Evaluate the walker's gait without orthotics to look for any signs of abnormal gait patterns. Signs of abnormal gait can include out-toed or in-toed walking, lack of balance, foot-shuffling and foot-dragging. Evaluating this baseline will help determine the success of the orthotics during ambulation.

• 2

  Have the trainee put on the orthotics and observe walking from the front. Stand 6 to 15 feet in font of the person you are evaluating, and watch for signs of the imbalances mentioned above. Start by observing the feet, and work up the body to the knees, hips and arms. Use a notepad to log your observations.

• 3

  Observe the gait from the back. Watch the body, starting with the feet and working to the arms as in the previous step. Log observations from the rear. It is important to watch from both the front and back, since you may observe imbalances you did not notice while watching the other side.

• 4

  Position yourself alongside the person you are observing while he walks across your line of sight. Observe them coming past you and look for ambulatory dysfunction. Pay special attention to the knees in this step, since it is easy to notice if knee flexion and extension is being helped by the orthotics.

• 5

  Make detailed notes based on your observations to determine if the orthotics are helping or hindering the gait. After this initial evaluation of gait, a treatment plan can be designed, with expectations and goals to improve gait during the course of training

• 6

  Review the gait-training plan and schedule follow-up visits to continue gait training. Determine what days are best suited for gait training based on activity level, endurance and strength. When the gait improvement has reached its peak, decide if long-term appointments are needed for training with orthotics.