| This column is
about my experience as an
alternative health care provider within the modern medical system.
Although I now live in Morro Bay, I still manage a health care clinic
in the San Diego area, as I have done for the past twenty-five years
and where I still work ten days out of each month. |
|
The
Importance of Gait
By
Brian Dorfman
Walking
correctly is essential for preventing and resolving lower back and leg
issues. And it can be a difficult thing to implement. Think about how
many steps a person in their 40's or 50's has taken in a lifetime. The
existing biomechanics are very ingrained. We don't think about walking.
We just do it.
I
can't tell you how many times I've worked on walking mechanics with
people who come to Dorfman Kinesiology for other issues. Pain and
discomfort in the lower back, knees, ankles, and feet often involve a
gait adjustment as part of the solution.
One
of the most common problems I see with gait is the tendency to elevate
the hip/pelvic girdle to lift the leg. The motion should be more of a
hinging of the hip joint rather than a lift. The hip is made to hinge
and the hip joint can deal with the repetition. The lower back, on the
other hand, will be compressed with this manner of walking. It will
cause problems over time. Check out this short video for a
demonstration of this biomechanic error along with clear and simple
tools to fix it. Most importantly, the pelvic girdle should stay level.
It should not rise and fall or sway as you walk.
|
