Dedicated to helping clients with neurological conditions improve their lives and outlook, The Neurological Institute in Charlotte, NC, handles a wide variety of cases. In addition to treating conditions relating to memory and brain injuries, The Neurological Institute of Charlotte, NC, treats such problems as abnormal gait.
Abnormal gait refers to uncontrollable and unusual walking patterns. These patterns may involve walking with the head and neck bent forward, while dragging a foot, or in a duck-like fashion.
In most cases, an abnormal gait is caused by an injury or problem relating to the legs, such as arthritis, a leg injury, or a fracture. Infections that damage the tissues within the leg can also cause abnormal gaits, as can tendonitis and shin splints, a common injury among athletes. Individuals may also have an abnormal gait due to their legs being different lengths.
Since walking involves the central (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral (nerves beyond the brain and spinal cord) nervous systems, certain neurological conditions do cause abnormal gaits. Nervous system disorders like stroke or cerebral palsy are a common culprit of abnormal gait. Although these are often short-term conditions, they can permanently affect how a person walks. Other conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, brain tumors, and multiple sclerosis, affect how a person walks.
