Elevated Gait Training: Mastering the Pelvis & Thorax Through the Gait Cycle (Petrich)

Course overview

Dysfunctional gait is not just an issue for older adults. Poor gait mechanics can develop gradually, sometimes without the patient even realizing it, and over time they can contribute to injury, chronic pain, and a higher risk of falls. Although gait is a core part of physical therapy, gait training in many rehab settings is still surface level. It often emphasizes symmetry, push-off, and glute function while missing the more complex triplanar mechanics of the pelvis and thorax that are essential for efficient, coordinated movement and balance. When clinicians do not fully understand these mechanics, treatment often relies on broad cues and incomplete interventions that do not get to the true source of the movement problem. A stronger understanding of gait mechanics can lead to better patient outcomes and greater satisfaction. In a practice environment that increasingly emphasizes results, clinicians who go beyond the basics are the ones most likely to create meaningful, lasting change. This workshop is designed to change the way you assess and treat gait by introducing a comprehensive framework built around the triplanar function of the pelvis and thorax and the way these structures change through each phase of the gait cycle. Clinical decision-making will be guided by functional objective measures, not observation alone. Through hands-on labs integrated throughout the course, participants will practice four essential triplanar gait prerequisite skills in multiple positions, giving them a wide range of options for building home exercise programs for many different patient presentations. Attendees will then learn how to combine these movements and skills into dynamic upright gait retraining for each phase of gait, with practical problem-solving strategies included throughout. The course also incorporates sensory and proprioceptive elements that help patients move from conscious gait correction to a more balanced and automatic gait pattern. The ultimate goal is not simply to correct gait, but to help patients move with greater freedom, confidence, and consistency in everyday life.