A Portable Feedback Gait Apparatus for Five Segments of Footfall

Excerpt

Proper control of gait is a problem for some individuals who have had insults to the CNS. After attaining proper balance and hip control—requisites for walking—these persons may still have gait abnormalities. Failure to achieve a normal pattern of foot placement (that is, sequential placement of the heel, ball, and big toe) is one such abnormality. Typically, either the heel or big toe phase of foot placement is missed. These abnormalities can cause awkward gait patterns characterized by resultant muscle imbalances or extraneous compensatory movements. Correction to a more normal foot placement pattern is, therefore, a desirable goal for therapeutic exercise programs designed for ambulatory, motor impaired individuals who have foot placement abnormalities. This article describes a portable device used to assist individuals in achieving proper foot placement through the use of augmented audio feedback (AFB) during walking.