Gait analysis in Barretts, MO. Gait analysis, also known as motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to evaluate your movement to offer better care and get you back to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete recovering from an injury or you’re trying to manage chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed plan of care that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Discover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that leads to pain or influences movement health
• Assess and track treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehab injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Select footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Barretts, MO, our team 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 nearest you or schedule an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When carried out by professional physical therapists, gait analysis is an assessment of how you move, specifically how you walk and run. By understanding how you move, your physical therapist can offer insights into muscle imbalances, injury risks, the progress of injury rehabilitation, and more. Because our gaits our the result of a variety of factors – strength, flexibility, coordination, vision, the vestibular system – gait analysis can provide a valuable look at your overall movement health.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Barretts, 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 precise understanding of your gait, your Barretts, MO physical therapist can customize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Barretts, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a healing method by itself, it provides important insights to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more focused and customized approach. As such, gait analysis can be advantageous for a wide range of people in Barretts, MO:

• Athletes looking for a competitive edge in their sport — Correct form becomes vital at the zenith of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify muscle imbalances and limited range of motion, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recovering from injury — If you’re coming off an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to monitor your progress and ensure that your body is recovering and gaining strength adequately.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, in a slip and fall, or had to get surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to experience advantages from gait analysis in facilitating your healing from injury.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned runner, gait analysis can assist you in finding the right footwear, which, together with further insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, preserve energy, and minimize the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically interrupt your movement health, as well as 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 furthermore assist you in adapting to your new device and maximizing its performance and comfort.
• People suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can profoundly impact our everyday lives and mobility health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, evaluate treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably lose strength as we age. This can cause an elevated risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in discovering ways to lessen pressure on painful joints, mitigate injury risks, and examine the cognitive and motor aspects of movement health.

Regardless of the reason you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s working to ultimately run that marathon or simply engage in your day-to-day life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Barretts, MO will apply gait analysis to customize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in returning to the activities you cherish.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are typically two major types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this technique entails a physical therapist personally watching your gait as you walk and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to obtain a overall overview of your movement health and effortlessly detect any apparent patterns. Qualitative gait analysis depends on the professional judgment of the therapist to make assessments.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this approach employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, quantifiable data regarding your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it allows greater detailed analysis and monitoring of your improvement over time.

Both qualitative and quantitative gait analysis are appropriate in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Barretts, MO possesses the capabilities and expertise to tailor our gait analysis services to fulfill your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Barretts, MO

At Axes, our primary goal is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in returning to what they love most. To accomplish this, we employ every possible tool that can help our patients in Barretts, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Barretts, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists employ advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are attached to your body that monitor your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that hard data into helpful information that your physical therapist can examine
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to aid a more thorough analysis and breakdown of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their professional observations to recommend effective, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously tracked over time and compared against the typical population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Barretts, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to delivering our Barretts, MO patients with successful, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that align with their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be part of your customized treatment plan:

• To begin the process, ask your doctor if gait analysis may be beneficial for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a detailed history taking and physical examination to understand your goals, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll form a team with you and your doctor, including the findings of gait analysis into your comprehensive treatment approach, enhancing your mobility health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll create personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been validated through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in picking appropriate footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on achieving proper posture and improving movement health, utilizing insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll utilize gait analysis, together with other quantitative data and markers, to constantly review your growth and adapt your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes offers far more than just a series of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and innovative technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Barretts, MO who are driven to deliver excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Barretts, 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 Barretts, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly improve your overall health and performance, whether that means soaring down the field or going up stairs without discomfort. As we are dedicated to offering personalized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re one of the limited number of clinics in the Barretts, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to improve your movement health, contact the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Barretts, MO is appropriate for you.