Gait analysis in Byrnes Mill, MO. Gait analysis, alongside video motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare providers can examine your mobility to offer personalized care and get you back to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete healing from an injury or you’re trying to manage chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

Your Byrnes Mill, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Uncover underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that results in pain or affects movement health
• Measure and follow treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehab injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Find footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Byrnes Mill, MO, our staff of physical therapists are dedicated to one thing: getting you back to what you love most. If you’re curious if gait analysis is right for you, call the Axes’ location nearest you or make an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When performed by qualified physical therapists, gait analysis is an assessment 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 recovery, 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 Byrnes Mill, 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 Byrnes Mill, MO physical therapist can customize your treatment and help you get the most benefit for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Byrnes Mill, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy in and of itself, it offers crucial data to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more focused and customized care. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Byrnes Mill, MO:

• Athletes searching for a competitive advantage — Correct form becomes crucial at the zenith of competition. 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 monitor your progress and ensure that your body is healing and gaining strength appropriately.
• Anyone else recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, in a slip and fall, or need post-surgical therapy, you don’t have to be an athlete to derive positives from gait analysis in aiding your recuperation from injury.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re an experienced runner, gait analysis can assist you in identifying the appropriate footwear, which, along with additional insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, preserve energy, and reduce the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically impede your movement health, as well as 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 adapting to your new device and maximizing its function and convenience.
• People with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can significantly impact our everyday functioning and movement health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably lose strength as we age. This may lead to an heightened risk of falling for older adults, in addition to degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in finding ways to lessen pressure on aching joints, minimize injury risks, and evaluate the cognitive and motor aspects of movement health.

No matter the reason you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s working to finally run that marathon or simply engage in your day-to-day life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Byrnes Mill, MO will employ gait analysis to customize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in returning to the pursuits you cherish.

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 method entails a physical therapist directly observing your gait as you walk and through video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to acquire a broad assessment of your movement health and readily identify any observable 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 method employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to offer objective, measurable data about your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it allows more thorough analysis and tracking of your progress over time.

Both qualitative and quantitative gait analysis are appropriate in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Byrnes Mill, MO has the ability and expertise to personalize our gait analysis services to address your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Byrnes Mill, MO

At Axes, our main aim is achieving positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in getting back to what they love most. To accomplish this, we make use of every available tool that can help our patients in Byrnes Mill, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Byrnes Mill, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists utilize cutting-edge DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are attached to your body that track your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that algorithmic information into valuable information that your physical therapist can examine
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to enable a more comprehensive analysis and examination of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their clinical observations to prescribe successful, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly tracked over time and compared against the average population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Byrnes Mill, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to delivering our Byrnes Mill, MO patients with effective, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that align with their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your individualized treatment plan:

• To get started, ask your doctor if gait analysis may be advantageous for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a thorough patient interview and assessment to understand your objectives, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll form a team with you and your doctor, incorporating the insights from gait analysis into your comprehensive treatment approach, enhancing your movement health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in choosing suitable footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on achieving proper posture and improving movement health, drawing on insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, alongside other measurable data and indicators, to continuously review your progress and adapt your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes provides a lot more than simply a series of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and cutting-edge technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a dedicated team of physical therapists in Byrnes Mill, MO who are driven to provide excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Byrnes Mill, 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 Byrnes Mill, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can positively improve your overall well-being and movement health, whether that involves soaring down the court or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are dedicated to providing individualized, evidence-based treatment plans, we are one of the limited number of clinics in the Byrnes Mill, 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 find out if gait analysis in Byrnes Mill, MO is suitable for you.