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Shiatsu - walking with 'soft knees'

Discussion in 'Gerontology' started by 5foot6, Oct 15, 2012.

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  1. 5foot6

    5foot6 Member


    Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
    Has anyone come across 'soft knee' walking before? I have a 70 year+ patient who had a stroke 10 years ago, has stents in his groin and surprise surprise, poor circulation, who has been having treatment from a shiatsu practitioner who has advised him to walk with 'soft knees'. As a result he is shuffling when he walks. The practitioner in question says that walking with soft knees will help his circulation and stop trapping nerves around his knees. If you are reading this and feel it is a little worrying, so do I. There appears to be minimal regulation for shiatsu in the UK. Whilst I am sure there are benefits from acupressure massage, advising patients to consciously change their gait is surely irresponsible? I just wonder how these complementary therapy guys are allowed to practice virtually unregulated with unjustified clinical evidence and charge about a third more?! Is it just me that feels a bit peeved with it all?:confused:
     
  2. davidh

    davidh Podiatry Arena Veteran

    How does your patient feel about it - and why is it necessarily a bad thing?
     
  3. David Smith

    David Smith Well-Known Member

    5'6" - Your statement is a bit unfocused! Would you still be peeved if the Shiatsu therapist charged less than you then. Are you peeved that he is a better businessman? Are you peeved because your patient take the Shiatsu practitioners advice above yours? What have you advised your patient? Does the existence of a shiatsu practitioner lessen your worth as a podiatrist?

    As far as your patient's gait goes - Is there not a tendency for elderly people to change their gait compared to younger people? A flexed knee, flat foot gait gives increased stability and reduced ground reaction forces that require less forceful and slower muscle reactions to cope with it i.e attenuated force impulses, even very fit elderly people who run (and I saw many of those amzing oldies in the Yorkshire Dales last week) adopt a flexed knee gait as they loose the elastic properties of their tendons and use knee extension for propulsive power..
    As David H has said does this style of gait cause any harm just because it does not fit into some standardised ideal?

    Kindest regards Dave
     
  4. 5foot6

    5foot6 Member

    Good afternoon Davids, thanks for your replies. Apologies if my question is unfocused, there are a few issues floating around in there I appreciate, though the one I would like to concentrate on the effects of walking with soft knees on an elderly, high risk patient. I appreciate older people walk with a wider base of gait and that suppleness decreases with age, however if you are consciously changing your gait it would make sense something has to compensate. As a mature graduate 4 years on with 2 years experience in the NHS and now working privately, I would appreciate your senior experience in asking how much flexibility do we legally have under podiatry regulation to work outside of the qualifications we have achieved? Surely if soft knee walking was a great thing, how come nobody in podiatry circles knows much about it and its effects, good or bad?
     
  5. 5foot6

    5foot6 Member

    For those who are interested in the effects of soft or bent knee walking, have a gander at this article http://jn.physiology.org/content/83/1/288.full Interactions between posture and locomotion: Motor patterns in humans walking with bent posture v erect posture.
     
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