High Step Gait Issue

I may have an answer for you, it’s called muscle memory. While trying to build a stairway, you have to lay it out before you start cutting. My instructor said that height of a standard step is 8”. That means from the top of the prior step to the top of the next step is exactly 8”. As you learn to walk, you brain instinctively raises your foot 8”. As time passes, it becomes muscle memory, so that without thinking, your brain lifts your leg 8”.

Have you ever tripped on a step or stepped hard going down a step? If you have, you’ll find out the step was higher than 8” or lower than 8” but your muscles memory remembers exactly 8”. Ever step down to hard from a curb or trip stepping up on a sidewalk? Same reason, it was either more than 8” or less. Sometime in your recent past you tripped and your brain decided to raise your leg a little higher. Now your muscle memory has adjusted your stepping height and does it without thinking. That’s probably why your doctor noticed your unusual gait. You might be able to retrain your muscle memory by walking up and down stairs by looking down at each step and mentally only lift it to the height of the step.

Of course, there could be a medical reason why your gait changed but most people when they trip, it’s because of the 8” muscle memory did not adjust to the wrong height and you didn’t notice it. Hope this helps. @becky1024

Wow! Thanks for sharing this. I’m not sure if it’s what has happened to me but I will keep it in mind.
I don’t have any stairs around me at all.
I rarely go anywhere that doesn’t have an elevator especially since I have had both of my knees replaced.

Perhaps it’s something I have tripped on around the house or in a parking lot.

Thanks again!

One suggestion, do not wear any shoes that have a small tip to the shoe, wear only those shoes without them. The reason why, as we get older, we tend to dip the front of our foot and that tip stops your foot from going forward and you trip. If you don’t understand what tip I’m referring to, just look at any sneaker and you’ll see the tip I’m talking about. Only wear shoes that have a soul all the way to the front of the shoe and no tip. I still wear sneakers and I’m forever catching that tip on the floor or even outside.

Opposite! I keep tripping not lifting my feet high enough. Seeing a neurologist end of November as my orthopedic doesn’t like my gait - not just my knees making me walk strangely.

Thanks, I understand. The funny thing is that I wear those “ugly” Crocs almost exclusively. No points at all. I have to wear shoes all the time because I have very high arches and need the support.
The Crocs 🐊 are very light weight so there’s no reason for me to lift my feet up too high. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Isn’t it crazy! Not one of us is a “normal” walker whatever that is!
Keep us updated!

I will definitely keep you posted! Stay safe!