Fix Your Gait, Save Your Joints: The Power of Movement Correction

If your knees hurt after walking, your hips ache after standing, or your lower back feels stiff after a short run—you may assume it’s just ageing, wear and tear, or overuse. But what if the problem isn’t your joint, but the way you move?

Faulty gait patterns—how you walk, run, and transfer load—are a silent but powerful contributor to musculoskeletal pain and degeneration. Subtle imbalances repeated thousands of times a day can overload joints, inflame tendons, and accelerate conditions like arthritis or plantar fasciitis.

At MSK Doctors, we use MAI-Motion™, our proprietary AI-driven gait analysis system, to reveal and correct these issues before they cause irreversible damage. Fixing your gait isn't about walking prettier—it's about protecting your joints and preventing injury.

Understanding Gait Mechanics and Why They Matter

Gait is the technical term for how you move during walking or running. It involves a complex sequence of coordinated movements across the feet, ankles, knees, hips, pelvis, and spine. Ideally, these segments move in sync, absorbing and redistributing forces efficiently.

However, many people develop compensatory patterns due to past injuries, poor posture, muscle imbalances, or lifestyle habits (like sitting for long hours). Common examples include:

• Overpronation (collapsing arches)

• Hip drop or Trendelenburg gait

• Locked knees or lack of flexion

• Pelvic tilt or asymmetry

• Uneven stride length

These dysfunctional patterns often go unnoticed because pain may not appear immediately—but over time, they create a domino effect, straining joints and soft tissue.

How Faulty Gait Leads to Injury and Joint Damage

Let’s say your left hip doesn’t fully engage when walking. Your body may compensate by overloading the right knee and ankle. Over months or years, this can lead to:

Without motion analysis, these subtle issues are easy to miss—even on X-ray or MRI. That’s where MAI-Motion™ comes in.

MAI-Motion™: Seeing What the Eye Can’t

MAI-Motion™ is a markerless, AI-powered motion analysis platform developed by MSK Doctors, capable of detecting micro-asymmetries and movement deficits in real-time.

Using a single camera, it captures your walking or functional movement and analyses over 50 biomechanical parameters within seconds, including:

• Step symmetry

• Joint angle patterns

• Pelvic stability

• Muscle timing

• Load distribution

This objective, accessible technology transforms how we assess and manage conditions like osteoarthritis, ACL injuries, chronic hip pain, and post-operative rehabilitation. It enables:

• Earlier diagnosis

• Tailored physiotherapy

• Prevention of re-injury

• Real-time progress tracking

Treatment Options: From Analysis to Correction

Once we identify gait abnormalities, we design a personalised movement correction plan. This may include:

✅ Strength & Stability Exercises

Focus on activating underused muscles (e.g. glutes, hamstrings, VMO) and improving balance and core control.

✅ Neuromuscular Retraining

Use of cueing techniques and feedback tools to rebuild natural gait patterns—especially after surgery or injury.

✅ Footwear & Orthotic Assessment

We assess whether your shoes or arch support may be contributing to dysfunction, and recommend suitable corrections.

✅ Regenerative Support

If damage is already present (e.g. cartilage thinning or tendinopathy), we may combine rehab with PRP, mFAT, or shockwave therapy.

✅ Follow-up Motion Analysis

Re-test every 4–6 weeks to objectively measure improvement and adjust your rehab protocol.

Long-Term Benefits of Gait Correction

Correcting your gait isn't just about treating pain—it’s about preventing future injuries and preserving joint health for years to come.

Proven benefits include:

• Reduced joint loading in the knees and hips

• Improved walking efficiency and endurance

• Better balance and reduced fall risk

• Reduced recurrence of injuries (e.g. ankle sprains, tendon tears)

• Slower progression of arthritis and degenerative conditions

FAQs on Gait and Motion Correction

How do I know if my gait is abnormal?
Clues include recurrent pain in one leg or joint, uneven shoe wear, limping, or feeling “unbalanced.” A motion analysis provides a definitive answer.

Can poor gait cause arthritis?
Yes. Chronic mechanical overload from abnormal gait can accelerate cartilage breakdown and joint degeneration, especially in the knees and hips.

Is gait correction just for athletes?
Not at all. Office workers, older adults, and post-surgical patients benefit greatly from gait correction to prevent future disability.

How is MAI-Motion™ different from traditional gait labs?
It’s camera-based, quick, markerless, and patient-friendly—no suits or labs needed. We can analyse your walk in a clinic room within minutes.

Will I need orthotics?
Not always. We only recommend them if necessary, and they are always combined with strength and movement training.

Can gait correction help after knee or hip surgery?
Yes. Many patients unknowingly develop poor compensations post-op. MAI-Motion™ helps detect and correct these patterns early in recovery.

Takeaway: Move Better, Age Stronger

Pain-free joints don’t just come from scans or injections—they start with how you move. Subtle changes in gait can quietly undermine your musculoskeletal health, but with the right tools and guidance, they’re fully correctable.

At MSK Doctors, we use MAI-Motion™, regenerative therapies, and precision rehab to help you move smarter and feel stronger—no GP referral required.

Take the first step toward better movement. Book your gait analysis today.