The effects of visual and verbal feedback upon gait biomechanics and functionality

Chronic musculoskeletal pain affects a large percentage of the general population. Traditional therapies focus on treating the symptoms of pain, yet sometimes fail to address the root of the problem. The purpose of the following case study was to determine whether visual and verbal cues could improve walking gait kinematics and subsequently decrease pain. Ground reaction forces were used as visual feedback for each participant as these represent forces acting on the body during stance phase of walking. Two volunteer participants were chosen to participate in the study; Participant 1 being a 23 year old male experiencing pain due to ankylosing spondylitis for 4.5 years, and Participant 2 being a 36 year old female experiencing 1 year of back pain due to a past ligamentous strain injury. The participants were interviewed, given a Lower Extremity Functionality Scale questionnaire and a Numeric Pain Scale. A gait analysis was performed using a four camera system, AMTI force plate and Vicon Peak Motus 8.2 analysis software to determine gait deviations and develop verbal cues used during gait training sessions to modify gait pattern. Sessions were held twice a week over a four-week period using feedback to achieve a smoother and more natural gait pattern. Following the treatment, significant improvements were found in the Lower Extremity Functionality Scale scores for Participant 1 which increased from 68 to 78 points out of 80, and 53 to 63 points for Participant 2. The Numeric Pain Scale score decreased from 5 to 1 for Participant 1, with Participant 2 following the same trend of a 4.5 to 0.5. The participants reported the intervention was beneficial in creating awareness to correct bad walking habits and contributed toward pain reduction.