Gait analysis in Brentwood, MO. Gait analysis, also called motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners can assess your movement to offer personalized therapy and return you to the activities you love. 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 plan of care that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Find out hidden musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that causes pain or impacts movement health
• Measure and follow treatment outcomes
• Prevent and recover from injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Find footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Brentwood, MO, our staff of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: getting you back to what you love most. If you’re wondering if gait analysis can help you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for 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 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 Brentwood, 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 exact understanding of your gait, your Brentwood, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Brentwood, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy in and of itself, it provides important insights to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more focused and personalized approach. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Brentwood, MO:

• Athletes desiring a competitive edge in their sport — Correct form becomes crucial at the pinnacle of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify muscle imbalances and range of motion limitations, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recuperating from injury — If you’re recovering from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to track your progress and ensure that your body is healing and building 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 gain positives from gait analysis in facilitating your healing from trauma.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re an experienced runner, gait analysis can help you in discovering the suitable footwear, which, along with further insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, preserve energy, and lower the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can greatly disrupt your movement health, along with causing 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 help you in adjusting to your new device and maximizing its function and comfort.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can greatly impact our day-to-day functioning and movement health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, evaluate treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently weaken as we age. This can cause an elevated risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in identifying ways to alleviate pressure on painful joints, reduce injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor aspects of movement health.

Regardless of why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s striving to eventually run that marathon or just engage in your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Brentwood, MO will employ gait analysis to customize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in returning to the pursuits you love.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are generally two major 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 through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to gain a broad overview of your movement health and readily spot any apparent patterns. Qualitative gait analysis utilizes the clinical expertise of the therapist to draw conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this approach employs specific technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to provide objective, measurable data concerning your gait. By using precise numerical values, it allows more thorough analysis and monitoring of your improvement over time.

Both clinical and quantitative gait analysis are appropriate in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Brentwood, MO possesses the capacity and knowledge to personalize our gait analysis services to address your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Brentwood, MO

At Axes, our primary aim is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in returning to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we make use of every possible tool to support our patients in Brentwood, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Brentwood, MO, our expert physical therapists utilize innovative DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are placed on your body that track your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software interprets that complicated data into valuable information that your physical therapist can review
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more detailed analysis and breakdown of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their professional observations to prescribe efficient, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly monitored over time and compared against the average population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Brentwood, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is committed to offering our Brentwood, MO patients with successful, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that align with their lifestyles and objectives. Gait analysis can be included in your individualized treatment plan:

• To begin the process, ask your doctor if gait analysis might be helpful for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a detailed patient interview and assessment to gain insight into your objectives, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll form a partnership with you and your doctor, integrating the findings of gait analysis into your comprehensive treatment approach, improving your movement health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll create personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their efficacy.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll support you in choosing proper footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on maintaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, utilizing insights acquired from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, alongside other measurable data and markers, to consistently review your progress and adapt your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes provides far more than simply a series of exercises to check off. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and advanced technologies at our disposal, Axes provides a dedicated team of physical therapists in Brentwood, MO who are determined to provide optimal results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Brentwood, 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 Brentwood, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly contribute to your overall health and performance, whether that involves gliding down the court or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are committed to providing individualized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re the limited number of clinics in the Brentwood, MO area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to enhance your movement health, contact the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Brentwood, MO is right for you.