What in the World Is a Duck Walk, and Why Are We Asked to Do It During a Sports Physical?
If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it might have a knee injury.
Published Sept. 19 2024, 9:59 a.m. ET
If you ever find yourself in need of a sports physical, which is a highly specific thing, you might be faced with a rather unorthodox bill. Don't worry, we're not talking about money. In this case we mean a duck's bill. You might be wondering why a duck would be involved in your very human exam. It feels like we're spinning a web of lies but in reality, the way a duck moves could be an integral part of assessing your health.
Sometimes finding out what is going on in your body can leave a person feeling like they're quacking up. Thankfully, medical health professionals have developed all sorts of strange tricks that can help them zero in on an issue. With that in mind, let's dig into the meaning behind the duck walk request that often happens during a sports physical. Shake your tail feathers and let's get to it!
What's the meaning behind a duck walk at a physical? Let's feather this thing out, we mean figure.
When the Barstool Sports TikTok account shared a video of a kid doing the duck walk at a physical, we immediately had questions. First and foremost we weren't sure his version was how ducks actually walk. If we're honest, it's giving recently resurrected monster in a horror movie. That aside, we simply had to know what this duck walk was trying to accomplish.
According to the Children's Hospital of Georgia, the duck walk involves the patient "squatting like a catcher then walking across the room." Not to split hairs here, but shouldn't this be the catcher's walk? Though now that we think about it, catchers aren't doing much walking during a baseball game. Now that we know what it looks like, let's get into what it actually accomplishes.
Evidently the duck walk is used to look for a meniscal injury, which can occur if there is stress on the cartilage in your knee. In general, the duck walk can also determine if you have a variety of knee injuries that include but are not limited to an ACL tear or joint tenderness, per the National Library of Medicine. This of course begs the question, do ducks even have knees? They do, and they're spectacular.
Responses to the duck walk on social media were predictably hilarious.
Beneath the Barstool Sports TikTok, thousands of people commented about the mysterious duck walk. One woman said that when her son did the duck walk, he farted. It should be noted that this is always a safe space for flatulence stories and gas gags. Like us, many people did not know what purpose the duck walk served.
Perhaps the best part of the video is the doctor's reaction to the duck walk attempt. He is clearly trying not to laugh. If there is ever a time to let out a giggle, it's when the duck walk becomes the crab crawl. One commenter said that after watching multiple duck walk TikToks, they still have no idea what it is. "Every one of them is different," they wrote. Perhaps like ducks themselves, each walk is special. Who knew a duck walk could lead to a life lesson?
