GALS

GALS (standing for Gait, Arms, Legs, Spine) is a brief musculoskeletal screening test devised to detect neurological, musculoskeletal or functional deficits in patients.

It consists of an initial set of screening questions and a sequence of examination.

Questions
Do you have any stiffness or pain in your back, or any muscles or joints?

Can you dress yourself without any problem?

Can you walk up and down stairs without problem?

Spine
Examine the patient from the side to detect any evidence of abnormal lordosis, kyphosis or scoliosis

Also note whether there is any muscle wasting of the muscles of the trunk and legs, or deformity of other areas, such as the Achilles tendon and hindfoot areas.

Standing behind the patient, place your index finger on one of the lumbar vertebral spinous processes, and your middle finger on the next one down. Ask the patient to bend over and touch their toes, keeping their legs straight. Normally, as the patient bends, the spinous processes will move apart, so your fingers will move apart also. Note whether this is the case.