ABSTRACT
Every health professional treating patients with clinical disorders of balance, posture and gait must evaluate and treat the patient based on assumptions made about the relative function of the central nervous system, selective motor control, weak or spastic muscles, joint contracture and bony deformities. The usual methods of assessment include physical examination, manual muscle testing and visual observation. Clinical inspection of postural balance and gait are an important part of a routine clinical examination. A treatment plan is formed based on algorithms passed on by others and modified by experience gained from personal observations. However, many centers now have laboratories and skilled personnel to perform objective measurements rather than rely upon intuition and assumptions. These laboratories can provide quantitative information on the abnormal movement pattern. This objective information can then be used as a basis for appropriate therapeutic intervention. Posturography and gait analysis should be used as part of the initial assessment to provide a basis for correct intervention and repeated to aid in the assessment of therapeutic outcome.
