Walking is achieved through a mixture of carefully coordinated reflex and voluntary movements, many of which have to be learned. A newborn baby will exhibit a walking reflex when its feet touch the ground, but this is gradually lost at about the age of six weeks, the child will have acquired sufficient bone and muscle strength to support itself, and soon after its first birthday will have achieved enough muscular control and coordination to attain a strong, independent walk.
It is known that the information received from the eyes and the organs of balance in the ears is important for walking. however the control nervous system plays a more vital role in coordinating muscle movements. Reflex movements – including balance—are coordinated through the spinal cord, thalamus, medulla and cerebellum, while the voluntary movements that determine where we want to go and at what speed are circulated within the motor areas of the cerebral cortex. From here, message in the form of neutral impulses are
relayed to the various muscles which will be divided in the movement
A number of conditions can control the ability to walk, including genetic abnormality, drugs, and brain disease. Damaged muscles or bones can thus affect walking. In many these ____(14), the ability to walk may be impaired for life, but the body permitting, walking is a ____(15) that can be re-learned.