Gait and Stance Exa m i nation
Gait and stance may be observed casually when the patient is walking to
the exa m i n ing area . Normal gait has a narrow stance, fluid movement, and
symmetric arm swinging. Normal stance is steady with feet side by side and no
swaying . Specific maneuvers can be tested later in the exam.
Tandem gait is tested by haVing the patient wal k heel to toe in a straight
line, and a difficulty with this (ataxic -gait) suggests m idline cerebellar dysfunction.
Obese and elderly patients may have some difficulty with tandem gait without
specific cerebellar disease.
Ataxic gait is characterized by u nsteadiness, swaying, walking with the
feet widely apart, and an inability to perform tandem gait.
Hemiparetic gait demonstrates decreased movement of the weak side, with
he patient having to lean away from the paretic leg and swing it back to front