No doubt, many of you reading this can relate, during social situations outside your professional atmosphere, new acquaintances will often ask for your professional advice when finding out what you do for a living. It is basic human nature. I always found it amusing to predict and wager with myself on how long it would take until the shoes came off and I would be asked “Are these the worst bunions you ever saw? Of course, if we truly embrace our chosen profession, we never really stop practicing it.
The most accurate gait analysis occurs when the subject is unaware that he or she is being analyzed. In the clinical setting, the art of distraction is essential when determining if that limp is real or dramatized. We are trained to watch the entire body, from the top down or the bottom up, front and back, side to side, looking for asymmetry, under different conditions, as part of our assessment techniques. We couple that information with other information we have attained, to determine the cause of whatever the problem is and proceed with a course of action to solve the problem. Outside of the clinical setting, the same can be done. Watch people walk, notice that an older woman walking her dog might have Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction. The guy tip-toeing because he has plantar fasciitis. That runner who is overstriding. How does that person walk in those high heel pumps? The pickleball player who didn't warm up and was wearing the wrong shoes for the sport and strained his calf (really happened today). If people you encounter are interested in what you do and how you might help them, talk with them in friendly terms, it doesn't hurt, and you might have a positive impact on a stranger’s life! You will be a better practitioner and better person for it.
