Our nervous system trains our gait
- Renae Molden
- 25 minutes ago
- 2 min read
This 2007 study shows that the nervous system, not the body, creates protective movement patterns. Even after a successful joint replacement with good mobility, the same movement pattern persists a year later.
Purpose
Researchers wanted to see whether people’s walking patterns return to normal one year after total hip replacement.
Method
They studied 28 patients before surgery and again a year afterward, comparing them with 25 adults who had healthy hips. Measurements included hip range of motion (ROM) while walking and the greatest joint-loading forces the hip absorbs during forward–backward motion, side-to-side motion, and rotation.
Findings
Clinical function improved dramatically. The average Harris Hip Score rose from 53 (poor) to 95 (excellent), showing patients felt and performed much better. Movement mechanics improved too, but not completely:
Before surgery: Patients showed limited hip ROM and weaker forces in every direction.
After surgery: ROM and most forces increased, but side-to-side (frontal-plane) and external-rotation forces remained reduced.
Strong correlations between pre- and post-surgery values revealed a “learned” pattern: even after the damaged joint was replaced, patients continued walking in the same restricted way their nervous system had adopted for protection.
Still Not Normal
Compared with healthy controls at one year, THR patients still had:
Lower hip ROM
Lower adduction and internal-rotation forces
Conclusion
Replacing the joint fixes the structure but does not automatically restore normal gait within a year. The problem is neurological and related to motor-control, not just mechanical. Standard rehabilitation, aimed mainly at tissue healing, may be insufficient. More focused pre- and post-operative training to retrain the nervous system and rebuild proper movement patterns could help patients regain a truly natural gait.
Enter Kaiut Yoga.