10 things your walk will help you do

It turns out that not only facial expressions, gestures and speech can tell about a person what he is trying to hide from prying eyes. Any of us can take a few steps, and an experienced psychologist will tell a lot not only about character traits, but also diseases that we did not even suspect we had. There are many pathologies of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, which can only be identified by looking at the gait.

Here are 10 tell-tale signs of an altered gait that point to certain health problems.

10 Shortening the stride when turning and maneuvering

In the process of maintaining balance, vision, the inner ear, and that part of the nervous system that allows the joints to signal the brain about their position in space are involved. If any “failure” occurs in one of these physiological mechanisms, then a person’s balance begins to be disturbed and the step size changes.

9.

This type of walking is typical for people with flat feet. It may seem to someone that flat feet can be easily identified without being a specialist: a person suffering from such a defect has almost no so-called arch on the inside of the foot, which makes the sole seem completely flat. However, a similar change in the type of walking can also occur due to other pathologies, for example, acute bursitis (inflammation of the synovial joint bag of the joint) of the big toe or neuroma (a benign tumor formed from tissue of the plantar nerve). In these cases, there is not only a deformity of the gait, but also a pronounced pain syndrome associated with an inflammatory process or abnormal tissue growth.

8. Sluggish and slow pace

American scientists, based on the results of numerous clinical studies in which more than 30 thousand people took part, concluded that people with a slow gait have a relatively short life expectancy. The direct relationship between walking speed and the number of years lived is explained by the fact that the first indicator is greatly influenced by overweight, the presence of chronic diseases and past injuries of the musculoskeletal system, which in themselves are risk factors for sudden death for people over 60 years old. Therefore, having a slow gait, you should not start learning to walk faster. It is much more effective to try to influence the root cause of the problem, thereby increasing your chances of living a long life.

7.

In American films about cowboys, very often the main characters have just such a gait. However, in real life, such a spatial position of the joints may indicate the presence of osteoarthritis. According to statistics, more than 80% of people with this diagnosis walk like a cavalryman, especially those who suffer from the senile form of the disease.

Osteoarthritis is a complex chronic disease, however, with timely access to a specialist, it is possible to alleviate the patient’s condition and avoid the development of severe complications.

6. Walking on the tips of the toes of both feet

With this type of gait, the tips of the toes touch the floor before the heel, while normally the opposite should happen. Such a violation occurs due to hypertonicity of the corresponding muscles, provoked by a malfunction in the functioning of the central nervous system. Usually a similar symptom appears in people suffering from cerebral palsy or having a spinal cord injury.

5. Small swings of the arms while walking

A healthy person, taking a step with his left foot, takes his right hand back. This mechanism is due to the peculiarities of the structure of the spine. A similar interaction of muscles is carried out to maintain the lower half of the back.

In the event that when walking a person does not make characteristic waves with his hands, then this may indicate the presence of certain problems with the spine. When the physiological mechanism, which provides for the coordinated movements of different muscle groups that control the upper, lower limbs and the spinal column, is disturbed, then the spine is not given proper support, because of which the entire musculoskeletal system suffers.

4. The arch of one foot is more pronounced and/or the thigh is slightly recessed

Such a violation indicates a difference in the length of the lower limbs. This pathology can be identified by an orthopedist using various methods. However, it is usually enough for him to simply observe the gait and study the structure of the feet.

Due to the fact that a shortened limb needs to travel a much greater distance to reach the floor, the pelvis gradually begins to deform. Experts say that the characteristic signs of these disorders can be detected with the naked eye, just by looking at the back: the fold in the lumbar region from the side of the longer leg will be less pronounced.

3. Shark

Shuffling is a characteristic sign of the development of a severe neurological disorder – Parkinson’s disease. In this case, in order to move the leg forward or even just lift the foot off the ground, a person suffering from this disease expends tremendous effort, which results in a shuffling gait. A similar symptom occurs as a result of neuromuscular dysfunction.

In addition to these signs, Parkinson’s disease is manifested by a pronounced tremor of the limbs. This is due to a violation of the physiological connection between the centers of the brain and muscles.

2. galloping gait

This is one of the most unusual types of walking. Here a person, making each step, practically makes a small jump. This is observed in the presence of overdeveloped calf muscles. Usually this gait is observed in women who prefer to wear high-heeled shoes. Therefore, it is advisable for the fair sex to periodically alternate wearing high-heeled shoes with shoes with low wide heels or flat soles.

1. Walking on the tips of the toes of one foot

This symptom clearly indicates some violation of the symmetry of the body, which is a characteristic sign of a stroke. However, it happens that this symptom appears in people infected with the causative agent of polio.