Todd's Throwing Walk

Todd's Festinating Gait is a term used to describe the characteristic gait abnormalities associated with Parkinson's disease.

This symptom was first described by the English physician Robert Bentley Todd (1809-1860) in 1844. With a sweeping gait, the patient’s steps become shorter and faster, the legs seem to “catch up” with the body. There is a feeling that the patient is rushing forward so as not to fall. It is one of the classic motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, along with muscle rigidity, resting tremor, and postural instability.

A throwing gait usually appears in the middle and late stages of the disease. It can lead to falls and injuries. To correct it, drug therapy, physiotherapy, and gait training are used. Todd Throwing gait is one of the diagnostic criteria for Parkinson's disease.