Gait analysis in Arnold, MO. Gait analysis, also referred to as motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare professionals can examine your mobility to offer better treatment and return you to the things you love most. Whether you’re an athlete dealing with an injury or you’re trying to cope with chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed treatment plan that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

Your Arnold, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Detect and address gait disorders
• Find out hidden musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that leads to pain or impacts movement health
• Evaluate and monitor treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehabilitate injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Find footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Arnold, MO, our staff of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re curious if gait analysis can help you, call the Axes’ location closest to you or schedule an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When done by qualified physical therapists, gait analysis is an evaluation of how you move, specifically how you walk and run. By understanding how you walk and run, your physical therapist can offer insights into muscle imbalances, injury risks, the progress of injury rehabilitation, and more. Because our gaits our the product of a variety of factors – strength, flexibility, coordination, vision, the vestibular system – gait analysis can provide a valuable look at what may be affecting your movement health.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Arnold, MO will look at:

• Step length and width
• Cadence (number of steps taken per minute)
• Foot and ankle alignment to see if you have tendencies towards pronation (inward rolling) or supination (outward rolling)
• Joint movement and range of motion
• Movement of the pelvis to see if there is excessive rotating or titling
• Stability, balance, and body sway (the amount of lateral movement)
• Step repeatability (the similarity of your steps)

With a accurate understanding of your gait, your Arnold, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Arnold, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy by itself, it provides valuable insights to your physical therapist about your motion, allowing them to offer more focused and personalized approach. As such, gait analysis can be advantageous for a wide range of people in Arnold, MO:

• Athletes seeking a performance boost — Correct form becomes essential at the highest level of competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify strength imbalances and range of motion limitations, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recovering from injury — If you’re coming back from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to track how your recovery’s going and confirm that your body is healing and developing strength appropriately.
• Anyone else recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, in a slip and fall, or need post-surgical therapy, you don’t have to be an athlete to derive advantages from gait analysis in aiding your recovery from injury.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned vet, gait analysis can aid you in identifying the suitable footwear, which, along with other insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, conserve energy, and minimize the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can significantly disrupt your mobility health, in addition to resulting in phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices specifically designed to your body and lifestyle. It can also assist you in adjusting to your new device and optimizing its performance and convenience.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can profoundly impact our everyday functioning and movement health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and guide rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably lose strength as we age. This may lead to an increased risk of falling for older adults, in addition to degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in finding ways to relieve pressure on aching joints, mitigate injury risks, and evaluate the cognitive and motor elements of mobility health.

Regardless of the reason you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s working to finally run that marathon or just engage in your day-to-day life without pain, Axes’ licensed therapists in Arnold, MO will utilize gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and help you in getting back to the activities you love.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are generally two primary types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this technique entails a physical therapist directly observing your gait as you walk and via video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to gain a overall assessment of your movement health and readily identify any apparent patterns. Qualitative gait analysis depends on the clinical expertise of the therapist to reach conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this technique employs advanced technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to offer objective, quantifiable data concerning your gait. By using precise numerical values, it enables greater in-depth analysis and tracking of your progress over time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are suitable in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Arnold, MO possesses the capacity and knowledge to customize our gait analysis services to fulfill your particular needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Arnold, MO

At Axes, our primary goal is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in getting back to what they love most. To accomplish this, we employ every possible tool to support our patients in Arnold, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Arnold, MO, our expert physical therapists utilize innovative DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer combined qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that monitor your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that algorithmic information into helpful information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more thorough analysis and examination of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their professional observations to prescribe efficient, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly monitored over time and compared against the typical population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Arnold, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to delivering our Arnold, MO patients with successful, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that suit their lifestyles and objectives. Gait analysis can be included in your personalized treatment plan:

• To start the process, talk to your doctor to evaluate if gait analysis may be advantageous for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll perform a thorough history taking and physical examination to understand your objectives, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll create a team with you and your doctor, integrating the insights from gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, enhancing your mobility health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll create personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been validated through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their efficacy.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in selecting proper footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while informing you on achieving proper posture and enhancing movement health, utilizing insights acquired from gait analysis.
• We’ll employ gait analysis, alongside other quantitative information and indicators, to continuously assess your progress and adjust your treatment plan as needed.

Axes delivers much more than just a series of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and innovative technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a specialized team of physical therapists in Arnold, MO who are motivated to provide optimal results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Arnold, MO include:

• Neck Pain Treatment
• Physical Therapy Clinic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation

Call Axes’ for Your Gait Analysis in Arnold, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly enhance your overall well-being and movement health, regardless of whether that means moving down the field or climbing stairs without discomfort. As we are committed to offering personalized, evidence-based treatment plans, we are one of the limited number of clinics in the Arnold, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to optimize your movement health, call the nearest Axes location or contact us online to find out if gait analysis in Arnold, MO is appropriate for you.