Gait and Movement Laboratory

Our Gait and Movement Laboratory is highly respected and is one of only 15 in the UK and Ireland to be accredited by the Clinical Movement Analysis Society (CMAS). 

Through the expertise of our staff and state-of-the-art equipment, we measure walking patterns to effectively diagnose and treat patients with gait problems.

Visit the CMAS website (opens in new window) >

Watch a tour video of the Gait and Movement Laboratory department (opens in new window) >, and a demonstration assessment to show you what may happen during your gait analysis appointment.

Contact us

Telephone: 01332 258159
Email: dhft.gaitandfes@nhs.net

Opening hours

Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm.

What we offer

At the Florence Nightingale Community Hospital, we provide a detailed analysis of walking to support clinical decisions regarding orthopaedic surgery, orthotics, physiotherapy, neurological decisions, FES (Functional Electrical Stimulation) and other medical treatments.  

Our laboratory consists of a small seating area, a main walk way, a clinic bed and a desk area for analysis. In the lab we measure kinematics, kinetics, plantar pressure, EMG, walking speed and stride and step length.

What your appointment will look like

The appointment will usually involve a clinician and the technologist.

We will ask you about your medical history relating to your gait problem (this may be completed on the phone before you come to your appointment). We will go over the types of assessments that we would like to complete in the appointment and also gain your consent.

The clinical exam

The clinician will move your hips, knees and ankles to get an understanding of joint ranges, muscle strength and muscle spasticity. The technologist helps alongside the clinician by measuring the joint angles and recording the results.

Gait assessment

The next part involves 2D video capture of you walking. Three cameras will capture you walking in both the frontal plane (front) and sagittal plane (side). With this assessment we can slow the videos down to get frame by frame captures of your walking. This lets us identify the different phases in your gait cycle (walking pattern).

Depending on what data the clinician wants to collect, you may complete these other assessments.

3D motion capture

Reflective markers are placed onto the lower body and the ten infra-red cameras around the room track the markers whilst you walk. This allows us to build a skeletal model of your body and how the segments move. We then process this information to provide accurate data on joint angles, muscle lengths and ground reaction forces during gait.

Pedobarograph

The Pedobarograph mat allows us to measure and analyse the pressure under your feet when you walk. The mat has an array of force sensors that track the pressure under your feet to produce a colour footprint of your pressure distribution.

Video Vector

The ground reaction force vector, measured by floor embedded force plates, is superimposed on a video of your walking. This allows us to see the position and magnitude of your vertical ground reaction force during your gait.

Your appointment can vary in length from 1 to 2 hours.

When attending your appointment we ask that you bring a pair of shorts and any walking aids that you use including any splints and insoles. Please note that we only have a very limited supply of walking aids (frames and sticks) and so please bring your own to the appointment.