Gait training helps people learn to walk again after an injury or disability. Rehabilitation specialists assess the patient’s history and develop a treatment plan to address gait problems. Assistive devices are used initially, and the goal of training depends on the extent of the patient’s injuries. The process can take weeks or months, and setbacks are common.
Gait training is a process where someone is trained to walk. It can be used to help someone learn to walk again after an injury or to assist a person with a disability who has not learned to walk safely and comfortably. Rehabilitation specialists are usually contracted to provide gait training, often on the recommendation or referral of a regular physician or surgeon who would like to equip a patient with the tools for recovery.
The first step in ambulation training is a thorough review of the patient’s history, followed by an assessment with the patient. If the patient can walk, the patient is encouraged to do so while the rehabilitation specialist notes how the patient moves. Patient and therapist also talk together about the goal of therapy and other types of therapy the patient might participate in. During this process, the therapist learns more about what makes the patient tick, so this information can be applied to work seamlessly with the patient in therapy sessions.
The therapist addresses the patient’s gait problems and develops a treatment plan to address them. If a patient can’t walk at all, the rehabilitation specialist will start right from the start by teaching them how to walk. This process involves remapping the patient’s brain and body together, with a series of exercises. Patients who are already walking may need to relearn the process of doing so safely, as some people acquire coping habits to deal with injuries that lead to an unsteady gait.
Early gait training is usually done with assistive devices such as parallel bars. This is done to provide support to the patient so that he can walk safely. As the patient becomes more independent and confident, assistive devices can be scaled up; a patient could become a cane, for example. The goal of the training depends on the extent of the patient’s injuries. An elderly stroke victim, for example, may always require a walker for stability, while a younger amputee may walk successfully on a prosthesis after gait training.
This process can take weeks or months, depending on how a patient progresses. It is not uncommon for patients to experience periodic plateaus and setbacks in physical therapy sessions such as those used for gait training. Being able to work on these and develop a routine that adds variation so patients don’t get frustrated is key.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
