Biomechanical Gait Analysis
A biomechanical gait analysis examines how your feet, ankles, and legs move together as you walk or run. Rather than treating pain in isolation, it identifies the underlying mechanics driving it, whether that’s overpronation, uneven leg length, or muscle imbalance, so treatment addresses the cause and not just the symptom.
This page covers how a gait analysis works, what it can uncover, and what to expect during your assessment.
What Is a Biomechanical Gait Analysis?
A biomechanical gait analysis is a structured assessment of how you walk and run, looking at the alignment, movement, and timing of your feet, ankles, knees, and hips. It looks beyond the area where you’re feeling pain, since problems in one area, such as the hip or arch, often show up as pain somewhere else entirely, like the knee or heel.
How Does It Work?
Your podiatrist observes your walking or running pattern, checking how your foot strikes the ground, how much it rolls inward or outward, and how your knees, hips, and pelvis move in response.
Video or pressure-plate analysis may be used to capture detail the eye alone would miss. The findings identify any imbalances or compensations contributing to your pain or injury.
What Conditions Does It Help to Diagnose
Overpronation
Excessive inward rolling of the foot that strains the ankle and knee over time
Shin Splints, Plantar Fasciitis & Achilles Pain
Repetitive strain injuries often linked to how the foot loads during gait
Chronic Ankle Instability
Recurring rolling or “giving way” tied to muscle weakness and movement patterns
Unexplained Knee, Hip, or Back Pain
Pain with no obvious direct cause, often traced back to compensations further down the chain
Leg Length Discrepancies
Uneven leg length affecting posture and stride
In-Toeing, Out-Toeing & Other Childhood Gait Patterns
Rotational or developmental gait patterns in growing children
Overpronation
Excessive inward rolling of the foot that strains the ankle and knee over time
Shin Splints, Plantar Fasciitis & Achilles Pain
Repetitive strain injuries often linked to how the foot loads during gait
Chronic Ankle Instability
Recurring rolling or “giving way” tied to muscle weakness and movement patterns
Unexplained Knee, Hip, or Back Pain
Pain with no obvious direct cause, often traced back to compensations further down the chain
Leg Length Discrepancies
Uneven leg length affecting posture and stride
In-Toeing, Out-Toeing & Other Childhood Gait Patterns
Rotational or developmental gait patterns in growing children
What to Expect During Your Assessment
1
Clinical History & Symptom Review
Understanding your pain, lifestyle, and previous injuries.
2
Physical Examination
Hands-on evaluation of:
- Joint mobility
- Muscle strength and flexibility
- Foot, ankle, knee, and hip alignment
- Weight-bearing patterns
3
Using video or motion technology to study:
Hands-on evaluation of:
- Foot strike pattern
- Pronation / supination
- Step symmetry
- Hip and knee alignment
4
Functional Movement Testing
Movement screens such as squats, balance tests, and posture evaluation.
5
Diagnosis & Treatment Plan
A personalised management plan may include:
- Customised orthotics
- Strengthening & rehabilitation
- Footwear recommendations
- Shockwave therapy
- Training or technique adjustments
Who Should Get a Biomechanical Assessment?
You may benefit from this service if you:
Active Individuals
- Experience pain during or after walking, running, or sports
- Are an athlete seeking performance optimisation
Individuals with Daily Discomfort
- Long hours of standing
- Feel unstable or frequently sprain your ankles
- Notice uneven wear on your shoes
Parents with Concerns
- Have a child with unusual walking patterns
Who Should Consider Gait Analysis
Runners and athletes with recurring pain or injury, anyone with unexplained knee, hip, or back pain, patients recovering from a foot or ankle injury, and parents concerned about a child’s walking pattern.
What You Can Expect
Your assessment includes a discussion of your symptoms and footwear history, followed by an observation of your walking pattern and a check of joint range of motion, muscle strength, and foot posture. You’ll leave with a clear explanation of what was found and how it connects to your symptoms.
Understand How You Walk
A biomechanical gait analysis is often the starting point for treatment plans across conditions from turf toe to shin splints to paediatric gait concerns. Your assessment includes a full walking analysis, a footwear review, and a clear breakdown of the findings, with a treatment plan built around what’s actually driving your symptoms.
Our Clinic
- Palais Renaissance 390 Orchard Rd, #10-03 Singapore 238871
- +65 8044 9825
- contactus@emeraldhillpodiatry.com
By appointment only
