Correction of habitual limp

Following surgery or injury to a lower extremity, a patient may have a persistent limp in spite of an uneventful recovery and normal findings on physical examination. It may be difficult for the patient to overcome this habitual limp. Such a limp can be successfully corrected by instructing the patient to walk with both knees stiff and to step down on the heel first. This resembles a military goose-step except that it is done gently and resembles normal gait. This method has been used successfully by the author with at least 600 patients during the past 15 years. It should not be taught to elderly patients with poor balance.