Anatomy in Motion
“… faulty gait is a way of being for the client – it doesn’t get better one day and worse the next; it’s consistent, persistent and limiting in every way.”
Gary Ward
As an AiM practitioner, I observe how you walk, looking for patterns of movement that may be causing you pain or inhibiting your movement. I do not treat your pain directly but work with you to create an environment where your body can learn to heal itself. Most issues start at ground level – the feet; if your feet are not functioning optimally then the rest of your body has to adapt and this compensation will often lead to pain and discomfort. If a part of the body is injured the system reorganises itself to protect the injured area – the whole system is then compromised and unable to function efficiently. A single step takes 0.65-0.8 seconds and in that time every single joint in the body moves in 3 dimensions…mindblowing, isn’t it?
The initial session will comprise the following:
- Interviewing the body
- Discussion of injury history and current physical issues
- Postural assessment
- Gait assessment – video analysis
- Foot assessment
From this I can begin to build a picture of why there are problems and what we need to do to resolve them. We can then work together on exercises to teach the body a better, more efficient and ultimately pain-free, way of moving. I will prescribe homework and it will require a commitment on your part to follow through with the exercises in order for the brain to process this new information and integrate it into your everyday movement patterns.
Take a look at this clip from BBC’s Doctor in The House for more insight into the world of AiM.
