Version June 2024
| Gait pattern | Characteristics of gait | Common causes | Further evaluation |
| Weakness with spasticity (UMN) | The toes do not adequately clear the ground because the hip flexors are weak, and the toes scuff with each step. The strategy of circumduction at the hip helps with toe clearance. With bilateral spasticity, the gait is narrow based and scissoring. The toes scrape the floor with each step. |
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| Weakness with foot drop (LMN) | The foot drags, scuffs, or catches with walking. In some patients, a compensatory high-stepping gait develops, making use of hip flexor strength to allow foot clearance. |
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| Myopathic gait | Waddling gait and abnormal pelvic tilt with each step because of limb girdle weakness. |
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| Parkinsonian (extrapyramidal) gait | Narrow-based gait with reduced stride length; the feet barely clear the floor. Posture is stooped and arm swing reduced when walking. The forward center of gravity causes increasingly faster, short steps (hurrying or "festinating"). Turning is by small steps rather than pivoting. |
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| Frontal (apraxic) gait | Gait may appear cautious or "magnetic." There is difficulty initiating or maintaining walking. There may be inappropriate or counterproductive postural responses, short shuffling steps, disequilibrium, and start and turn hesitation. |
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| Sensory ataxia | Classically, gait is high stepping and stamping, and may be slightly wide based. Stride length is normal or a little reduced. The gait deteriorates markedly in the dark. |
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| Cerebellar ataxia | The gait may appear to be stumbling, lurching, staggering, reeling, drunken, or slow, with reduced step length and a wide base. Associated features can include other signs of cerebellar dysfunction, including scanning and slow speech, finger-nose and heel-shin dysmetria, and dyssynergia. |
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| Vestibular gait | Deviation on walking to the side of the affected ear. The gait varies from an occasional stumble to frank veering. The legs are slightly spread, and stride length is slightly reduced. Stamping on the spot with eyes closed demonstrates veering (Unterberger test). Often associated with nystagmus. |
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| Functional gait disorder | Walking is bizarre and does not conform to any of the usual patterns. There may be excessive slowness and stiffness, or maintenance of postural control on a narrow base with flailing arms and excessive trunk sway. |
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