“In rehabilitation, gait is the pinnacle of our goals,” states Débora da Silva Fragoso de Campos, a physical therapist at the Movement Study Laboratory of the Israelita Albert Einstein Hospital and a certified Lokomat Clinical Instructor in Brazil by Hocoma. Campos was one of the speakers on the first day of Reamed – Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, which is part of the schedule of Reatech Brazil, the International Fair for Inclusion, Accessibility, and Rehabilitation.
The physical therapist talked about a gold standard evaluation, which allows for a better approach to the patient, to understand the best procedures to be taken given the current condition of the person being evaluated and whether the proposals already carried out have had an effect and were adequate.
“With the aid of infrared cameras, which capture light using markers on specific points of the body, it is possible, during walking, to accurately analyze angles and muscle contraction, for example. Since we have a very well-established standard of what is normal, we know that anything deviating from this is a pathological issue, states Campos.
According to the physiotherapist, the exam can be performed on children starting at four years of age, both for physiological and practical reasons. “It's an evaluation that takes about three and a half hours, which can be a lot for a child. Furthermore, gait maturation happens starting at four or four and a half years old,” she explains.
