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Gait Disorders in the Aged *
Author(s) -
STEINBERG FRANZ U.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1972.tb00756.x
Subject(s) - medicine , gait , physical medicine and rehabilitation , parkinsonism , apraxia , gait disturbance , stroke (engine) , physical therapy , disease , aphasia , psychiatry , mechanical engineering , pathology , engineering
Since disorders of gait may eventually deprive the aged person of his independence, they should be detected early and treated before the disability becomes irreversible. In the healthy aged, changes in gait may be caused by loss of joint mobility and a decline in the precision of neuromuscular control. More serious gait disorders are caused by neurological or musculoskeletal disorders. Difficulty in walking may be the first manifestation of a stroke, parkinsonism, or a combined system disease. Other disorders such as the small‐step senile gait or apraxia of gait are directly related to the aging process. Lesions of the low back or the lower extremities are common causes of gait disturbances. Often overlooked is a deficiency in the low‐back and hip extensor mechanism. In the early phases, this condition is at least partially correctable by suitable physical therapy.