The so-called duck gait can be a sign of serious diseases of the hip joints. In this article, we will talk about the sign of what diseases this pathology can be in adults and children. And also consider the causes of the appearance of such a gait in pregnant women.
Causes of pathology in adults
"Duck gait" is characteristic of diseases of the hip joints, in particular coxarthrosis.
This disease is chronic and leads to the gradual destruction of the bone tissue that forms the hip joints. The pathology has many causes, but the main one is considered to be permanent trauma to the musculoskeletal system. The development of the disease leads to the fact that the joint space begins to narrow. In the last stages of the disease, it can disappear completely.
In adults, the “duck gait” (the causes of the disease in children are discussed below) can be caused mainly by coxarthrosis. This pathology can develop in people of all ages, with the exception of very young children. Men suffer from it more often than women. This is due to the fact that their physical activity is usually higher. Elderly people are most prone to coxarthrosis. At this age, the nutrition of tissues begins to be disrupted, and the body's ability to recover decreases.
How coxarthrosis develops
So, "duck gait" in which disease appears in adults? Basically, with coxarthrosis, since only joint destruction can become its cause. But how does this happen and where does it start? How not to start the process and start treatment on time?
Regardless of what caused the ailment, it will always develop according to the same scheme. Healthy joint surfaces always correspond to each other, so that the load is distributed evenly. However, due to various deleterious effects, deformation of the hyaline cartilage, the main component of the joint cavity, occurs. This leads to a violation of the congruence of the articular surfaces. And the consequence of this already becomes the uneven distribution of the load on the joint during movement. That part of the cartilage, which accounts for most of the weight, is gradually deformed and even cracked. And the surface of the joints becomes rough and uneven.
This process entails compensatory reactions. First, cartilage tissue begins to grow in the damaged area. If the load does not decrease, then it gradually dies, and in its place a bone is formed. This leads to the formation of osteophytes (bone outgrowths), which gradually fill the joint. Around this time, the “duck gait” appears. It indicates a neglected condition of the disease. If you do not start treatment in time, then the joints can finally lose their mobility.
Causes of the disease
The cause of coxarthrosis can be:
- Degenerative senile changes.
- Dysplasia is a congenital pathology (we will talk more about it below).
- Injuries.
- Infectious diseases that cause damage to the musculoskeletal system.
- Aseptic necrosis of the femoral head.
- Perthes disease
There is also idiopathic coxarthrosis, the cause of which is still unknown to medicine.
Symptoms accompanying joint destruction
The danger of coxarthrosis is that it is diagnosed in the late stages. The fact is that in the affected areas there is no swelling of tissues, various swelling, etc.
We list the main symptoms of the disease:
- Limited mobility of the joint - this symptom appears quite early, but may also be a symptom of another disease. The reason for it is the narrowing of the joint space.
- Distinct “crunch”. Appears due to friction of joints against each other. As the disease develops, the volume of the sound emitted will increase.
- Pain They appear due to damage to intraarticular structures and a decrease in the amount of intraarticular fluid. The stronger the friction, the more painful the patient will be.
- Muscle spasms. Occur due to weakening of the articular bags.
- Shortening the affected leg. Appears in the later stages. The leg on the side of the affected joint may be 1-2 cm shorter than healthy.
- “Duck Walk” is another symptom that appears in the later stages. And it refers to extremely unfavorable signs. The reason for the appearance is that a person due to changes can no longer maintain balance with the correct position of the legs. Gradually, the patient simply physically loses the ability to straighten the knee joints and stand upright.
How to identify the disease before the appearance of the “duck gait”
The Duck Walk is itself a serious clinical sign for diagnosis. But at this stage, treatment will already be ineffective, so it is better to start it much earlier. And for this you need to diagnose coxarthrosis at an earlier stage. To do this, there are a number of methods that should be used when the first signs appear. We list the main diagnostic tools:
- Computed tomography is much more effective than conventional x-rays, as it allows you to obtain information about the quantity and quality of articular tissue.
- X-ray studies.
- Comparison of the length of the legs - this method is only suitable for the late stages when serious degenerative changes in the joints have occurred.
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
Characteristic gait in coxarthrosis
With this pathology, patients have two options for changing gait. The first appears when only one joint is affected, the second - with a disease of two. The latter option is called "duck gait." Let us examine in detail what happens at this moment with the joints.
So, the wrong campaign appears after the bone tissue in the articular cavities began to crack. At this moment, “leading contracture” begins to form, that is, the patient’s legs take a slightly bent position inside. And the patient can no longer return to normal on his own. During movement, a person is forced to transfer the weight of his whole body from one leg to another. This is accompanied by swaying movements from side to side. That is why the gait was popularly called the “duck”.
However, such a serious change in the position of the musculoskeletal system is already characteristic of the advanced stages of the disease. What is especially dangerous, such a transfer of body gravity leads to curvature of the spine and damage to the knee joints. Therefore, doctors advise using crutches or walking sticks (always two) to reduce stress.
Duck Gait in Pregnancy
Changing the gait of a woman during pregnancy has nothing to do with coxarthrosis, and completely different reasons cause it. Usually the gait changes in the later stages of pregnancy, the month on the eighth to ninth. Women really begin to widely spread their legs and at the same time they are slightly rolled over from one foot to another.
But still, let's find out the reasons for such changes. Of course, they depend on the physiological changes occurring in the female body:
- Weight gain and, consequently, increased load on the spinal column. The reason for this is lower back pain, which pregnant women so often complain about.
- A shift in the center of gravity occurs. Pregnant women are a little disoriented in space, to which, of course, the body reflexively reacts and slightly alters the gait for greater stability.
- When approaching childbirth, the joints of the pelvis become mobile.
In this case, pain in the hip joints should not occur. If they appeared, then we can talk about symphysitis, then you need to urgently consult a doctor. Otherwise, nothing bad happens. Changing gait is a natural process.
What to do pregnant with the appearance of a "duck gait"?
Duck gait in women can be a real psychological problem. Expectant mothers are already emotionally vulnerable, and such a huge flaw, from their point of view, deprives them of any attractiveness. However, do not despair. As polls show, such a walk of pregnant women causes only emotion and a lot of positive emotions in others.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to answer the question of how to get rid of the “duck gait” during pregnancy. Have to wait for the birth. As soon as the child is born, the previous tread will return to you. A bandage can slightly ease the situation, which will reduce the load on the spine. But it will not bring any cardinal changes.
Duck Walking in a Child
The cause of pathology (dysbasia) in a child may be changes in orthopedic or neurological nature. These changes can be caused by diseases of the central nervous system and peripheral, as well as diseases and congenital defects of the joints. There are more than 20 variants of gait disturbance, but “duck” is the most common.
This type of pathology is characterized by transshipment from foot to foot already described above. And the reason for its appearance is changes in the hip joints, accompanied by pain. Such a walk not only causes discomfort, but also leads to other disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
Causes of the “duck gait” in children
In 90% of cases, a “duck gait” appears in a child with dysplasia, pathological changes in the hip joints. This ailment leads to pseudoarthrosis and chronic dislocation.
Dysplasia is a very common disease, which affects 3% of all newborns. And in 80% of all cases, girls suffer from an ailment. If the pathology was discovered in infancy, you can try to fix it with the help of special bandages.
Also, inflammation in the nerves of the lumbosacral plexus or sacroiliac joint can become the cause of the “duck gait”.
Treating children
A “duck walk” in a child indicates a rather serious deviation, which must be diagnosed and treated.
The therapeutic complex will depend only on the cause of the disease. As noted above, in some cases, with an early diagnosis, it is possible to completely get rid of such a gait. But it all depends on the particular case, the speed of assistance and the qualifications of the prescribers.
Gait Correction Exercises
Exercises to correct the “duck gait” in case of illness should be carried out only after consultation with the attending physician. Here we do not consider cases with pregnant women and children, since this is a completely different category, and the exercise therapy complex should be developed individually for them.
We list the recommended exercises:
- Lie on your back, relax, begin to slowly bend your legs alternately in the hip and knee joints, trying to press the knee to your chest.
- Lie on your stomach. Lift the right leg, then the left, then both. In this case, the legs should be straight and not bent at the knee joints.
- Lie on your back and begin to spread your legs to the sides, returning to its original position.
These exercises have as their goal not to load the diseased joint, but to develop it. No need to rush, complete all tasks very slowly. Do not overload your legs. If pain occurs, the complex must be interrupted. Do not do all exercises at once. First master the first, then after a couple of days, connect the second and so on. Gradually, you can increase the number of approaches, but only in the absence of discomfort in the joints. It will take a lot of patience and perseverance, but the result is worth the effort.