ABSTRACT
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder characterised by slowness, rigidity, tremor and impaired balance. Individuals with Parkinson’s disease often present with tremor, slowing, loss of facial expression and an abnormal gait with shuffling or a tendency to drag one leg. Difficulty rising from a chair without pushing with the arms may suggest proximal muscle weakness, typically seen with muscle disease or myopathy. Ataxia is a clinical description referring to imbalance and uncoordinated movement seen in a variety of diseases. Bilateral injury or disease affecting the spinal cord or higher nervous system may similarly produce a paraplegia and spastic increase in tone in both legs. The incoordination of cerebellar disease may affect the ability to accurately perform rapid alternating hand movements, finger-nose or heel-shin tasks. An understanding of common diseases which are likely to affect walking is helpful when interpreting an abnormal gait pattern.
