Gait, or the way a person walks and moves, can be affected by many illnesses. As people age, gait disturbances become more common. In fact, impaired gait is a significant disability in 15% of people over age 65, which can lead to falls and hip fractures.
Things that can affect gait include decreased alertness and cognition, stroke, visual problems, Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, medications, metabolic disturbances, arthritis, head trauma, brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, central nervous system infections and neuropathies.
The type of gait abnormality sometimes can point toward the underlying disease. The neurologists of Neurology Indiana are trained to evaluate gait problems, determine their causes and suggest the appropriate therapy.
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