The dawn of a new year offers an opportunity to make health and wellness a priority in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the days ahead, and in/with regard to’concerning’regarding many, 2021 will be no exception. If there is a silver lining to the tumult and uncertainty of the past year, it’s that our understanding of what contributes to overall health has grown tremendously. The ongoing pandemic has illuminated some overlooked factors in wellness, from the social connections that matter to the amount of time spent in the sun. And the healthcare community has also been making great strides in helping individual achieve better health with the help of an often neglected vital token : gait.

During the pandemic our lifestyle has transform’alter d tremendously. We spend more time at home — we work from home, our favorite restaurants and shops are closed — and when we do go out we’re keeping our distance from those around us. For many of us, our dietary routine has transform’alter d and we are less active than bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e which can ultimately bring about’result in’contribute to’account for’make for’trigger a deterioration in physical and mental health.

However, with just a little bit of exertion — and a pair of shoes — you can transform’alter your lifestyle by better understanding your gait.

What is gait? And how does it impact your health?

Gait, in simple words, is your manner of cover’budge ing, and an increasing amount of research reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue s that it is a token ificant predictor of overall — and ongoing — health. Your gait is a function of how mobile you are, which means it s connected to virtually e grossly system in your body. That’s what makes it such a useful measure of health. And that’s why gait is often called the sixth vital token .

Health care professionals can tell a lot with regards to’concerning’with respect to a person s health from their gait, hence it is likely that individual with neurologic, muscular, or skeletal problems will undergo an observational gait analysis as part of their physical evaluation. Think with regards to’concerning’with respect to your blood pressure. Alone, it doesn’t reveal the complete story with regards to’concerning’with respect to your health. But high blood pressure can tell your level of risk in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a number of negative future health events, like heart attacks and strokes. And it becomes an even more helpful measure when used in combination with other health indicators.

Similarly, your gait can tell a lot with regards to’concerning’with respect to your health and functional status. Gait and cover’budge ing speed serve as clinical indicators in/with regard to’concerning’regarding wellbeing and longevity. Walking speed can predict a number of future health events, from functional decline and falls to hospitalization and mortality. And a recent study found a intense’fierce’exquisite link between decrease’lessen’cut’allay d cover’budge ing speed and accelerated rates of aging in otherwise healthy adults in their 40s.

So how can your gait transform’alter ? Simply put, the body responds to pain. Mechanoreceptors detect pain and send token als to the brain to compensate and adjust the movement pattern to shun pain. This is one of the reasons why our gait pattern transform’alter s when we suffer from lower extremity (such as your knee) pain. We shun weight bearing when possible and we decrease’lessen’cut’allay our velocity and step length to shun pain. In some cases, we will notice some transform’alter s in gait symmetry, indicating the one limb is more painful than the other. Understanding gait deviations might help us understand the level of severity and could help us choose the appropriate treatment.

Gait analysis isn’t just in/with regard to’concerning’regarding runners anymore — how technology is making it accessible to eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfullyone.

Gait analysis is a tool in/with regard to’concerning’regarding understanding the way the human body moves. Runners possess’own’nurse long used it to enhance’promote’polish up perin/with regard to’concerning’regarding mance, relieve pain and decrease’lessen’cut’allay the risk of injury. In the recent past, that meant visiting specialty running shops in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a professional gait analysis. Today, it’s easier than ever in/with regard to’concerning’regarding anyone to access the benefits of gait analysis from the comin/with regard to’concerning’regarding t of their own home.

Whether you are looking to enhance’promote’polish up your mobility, address a chronic pain issue or just interested in acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting a picture of your overall health, biometric technology puts the power of gait analysis in your hands — and it starts with your feet. Similar to the fitness tracker you may already be wearing on your wrist, biometric devices and sensors that collect key data with regards to’concerning’with respect to your body’s movements can be attached to or embedded within your footwear.

Tech giants like Apple and Google possess’own’nurse begun to recognize the potential of gait analysis. Apple recently updated its token ature Apple Watch to include metrics that measure gait quality. And Alphabet, Google’s parent firm’enterprise , is reportedly looking to develop shoes with sensors embedded to track users’ gait, cover’budge ing speed, weight and other metrics.

Having problems with your gait?

If you’re struggling with mobility issues, gait modification treatment may help. Consider making a New Year’s resolution to talk to your primary care provider with regards to’concerning’with respect to treatment options. There are a number of medical, surgical and biomechanical treatment options in/with regard to’concerning’regarding gait-related pain. But there are also non-invasive treatment options, like AposHealth®, that can tackle the root causes of pain, enhance’promote’polish up body mechanics and muscular function, and don’t require disruptions to daily routines.

To date, AposHealth® has been used by more than 100,000 patients globally, to temporarily decrease’lessen’cut’allay pain, enhance’promote’polish up cover’budge ing patterns, and elevate quality of life. Backing it up are more than 60 publications in peer reviewed journals, including a recent publication in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue ing 83% of knee osteoarthritis patients treated with AposHealth® reported more than a 50% temporary reduction in pain compared to 42% in an active control group.

To learn more with regards to’concerning’with respect to AposHealth®, visit: https://www.aposhealth.co.uk/.

Author Bio

Ganit Segal, MPE, is the Chief Scientific Officer at AposHealth®. She holds a master’s degree in life science, with a specialization in biomechanics and has more than 15 years of undergo in medical research. She has over 35 publications in peer-review journals and substantial undergo in scientific reviews, including global clinical trends and guidelines, comparative analysis, and more.