Where Can You Get Clinical Gait Analysis in London?
London offers several types of gait analysis, from running-shop treadmill assessments to physiotherapy video capture and full standing skeletal imaging. The right option depends on whether you need footwear advice, movement coaching or a detailed picture of the bone and joint geometry that drives how you walk.
Key takeaways
- Gait analysis in London ranges from free running-shop checks to clinical skeletal imaging.
- Treadmill and video assessments show how you move. Standing skeletal imaging shows why.
- A clinical gait assessment can identify problems like leg length discrepancy or rotational issues that camera-based tools cannot measure.
- Many people benefit from combining treadmill analysis with a skeletal assessment for the fullest picture.
- ScanAlign offers standing whole-body EOS imaging at 19 Harley Street, no referral needed.
If you have a persistent limp, hip pain, knee trouble, or a running injury that keeps coming back, you have probably searched for gait analysis near you. London has more options than most cities, but they vary enormously in what they actually measure. This page sets out the main choices so you can pick the one that matches your problem.
What types of gait analysis are available in London?
There are three broad categories, each measuring something different. None is automatically "better" than the others. They answer different questions.
A short treadmill run filmed on slow-motion camera. The focus is shoe selection. Available at most specialist running shops across London, often free with a purchase.
A longer session with a clinician using multi-angle video capture, pressure plates or force platforms. The focus is movement patterns, muscle timing and orthotics prescription.
A low-dose standing X-ray (such as EOS) that captures the skeleton from head to feet in one image. The focus is bone geometry, joint angles, lower limb alignment and structural asymmetry.
What is the difference between clinical and retail gait analysis?
The main difference is depth. A running-shop assessment is designed to guide shoe choice. A clinical gait assessment looks deeper into why your movement pattern exists in the first place.
Retail analysis is useful. If you are buying running shoes, a treadmill check helps narrow the field. But it cannot tell you whether a leg length discrepancy, femoral rotation, or pelvic tilt is the reason your foot rolls inward. A clinical assessment can.
Think of it this way: treadmill analysis shows what happens when you walk or run. Skeletal imaging shows why it happens.
Is treadmill gait analysis worth it?
Yes, for its intended purpose. A treadmill assessment is a practical starting point, especially for runners. It can highlight overpronation, cadence issues and obvious asymmetry. Many London physiotherapy and podiatry clinics combine treadmill work with pressure-plate data and clinical observation.
Where treadmill analysis reaches its limit is when the problem sits inside the skeleton rather than in the muscles or movement habits. A camera cannot see bone torsion, true leg length differences, or the angle at which your hip socket faces. If treadmill analysis and orthotics have not resolved your problem, that is usually a sign that something structural is going on underneath.
Had a treadmill assessment already? A standing skeletal scan can show whether a structural cause explains what the treadmill found. You can book a skeletal alignment scan with no referral needed.
How does standing skeletal imaging help with gait problems?
Standing skeletal imaging captures your bones and joints while they bear your full body weight. This matters because lying-down scans relax your muscles and let your joints settle into a neutral position, which can hide the very asymmetries that affect your gait.
At ScanAlign, standing EOS imaging in London, an EOS scanner takes a full-length image of your skeleton from the front and side in a single pass. The scan uses about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray, around ten times less. From this image, your report can detail:
- True versus apparent leg length differences
- Hip, knee and ankle alignment on each side
- Pelvic tilt and spinal balance
- Rotational patterns in the femur or tibia
These measurements give surgeons, physiotherapists and podiatrists the structural data they need to make your treatment plan more precise.
When MRI is the better tool. EOS shows bones, joints and alignment. If your clinician suspects a soft-tissue cause, such as a torn tendon, cartilage damage, or nerve compression, MRI is usually the better choice. The two scans answer different questions and often complement each other well.
Who should consider a clinical gait assessment in London?
A clinical gait assessment is worth considering if simple solutions have not worked. Below is a rough guide.
- Have a persistent limp or uneven stride
- Experience hip, knee or ankle pain that keeps returning
- Have been told you have a leg length discrepancy
- Are planning or recovering from joint replacement
- Have had treadmill analysis and orthotics without lasting improvement
- Want shoe-fitting guidance for a new pair of trainers
- Have a soft-tissue injury with no bony pain
- Need a muscle-strength or flexibility programme
- Have sudden numbness, weakness or loss of bladder or bowel control (seek urgent medical attention via your GP, 111 or A&E)
Frequently asked questions about gait analysis in London
Most specialist running shops offer free treadmill analysis. Physiotherapy and podiatry clinics across London provide clinical video-based assessments. For standing skeletal imaging, ScanAlign at 19 Harley Street offers full-body EOS scans without a referral.
Running-shop treadmill checks are often free or included with a shoe purchase. Clinical physiotherapy or podiatry gait sessions vary by clinic. ScanAlign does not publish prices on this page, but you can find current pricing on the ScanAlign FAQs page.
Most private gait analysis providers in London accept self-referrals. ScanAlign does not require a GP or consultant referral. You begin with a free video consultation to check the scan is right for you.
Running gait analysis focuses on your stride, foot strike and pronation while running on a treadmill. Clinical gait analysis goes deeper, using video, pressure platforms or skeletal imaging to understand the structural and muscular causes behind your movement pattern.
Video gait analysis can suggest an apparent difference, but it cannot measure the bones directly. A standing full-length skeletal scan is the most reliable way to confirm a true leg length discrepancy and distinguish it from a pelvic tilt creating the appearance of unequal legs.
Yes. An EOS scan uses about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray, around ten times less. It is one of the lowest-dose skeletal imaging options available.
You stand still inside the EOS scanner while it takes a full-length image of your skeleton from the front and side. The scan itself takes under a minute. You stay fully weight-bearing throughout, so the image shows your skeleton exactly as it works in real life.
Yes, and this often gives the fullest picture. The treadmill shows how your body moves. The skeletal scan shows the bone geometry and alignment underneath. Together they help your clinician understand both the movement pattern and its structural cause.
Gait analysis is a diagnostic tool, not a treatment. It identifies what may be contributing to your symptoms. The findings then guide the treatment plan set by your physiotherapist, podiatrist or surgeon.
Start with a free video consultation. A specialist radiographer reviews your history, confirms the scan is appropriate, and books your appointment at 19 Harley Street. No referral is needed.
See the structure behind how you move
A free video consultation with a specialist radiographer will help you decide whether a standing alignment scan is the right next step.
Book a free video consultationWritten by Abbas Dhami (Specialist Diagnostic Radiographer)
Sources
- Baker R. Measuring Walking: A Handbook of Clinical Gait Analysis. Mac Keith Press, 2013.
- Illés T, Somoskeöy S. The EOS imaging system and its uses in daily orthopaedic practice. International Orthopaedics. 2012;36(7):1405-1411.
- NHS inform. Gait problems and movement disorders. Available at: nhsinform.scot (accessed 2024).
This page is general information and not a diagnosis.
ScanAlign is the trading name of CoreMed Solutions Ltd and operates under The Harley Street Hospital's CQC licence.