Gait analysis in Chesterfield, MO. Gait analysis, also referred to as motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare professionals can evaluate your movement to offer personalized care and return you 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 therapy program that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Find out underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that results in pain or influences movement health
• Assess and track treatment outcomes
• Prevent and recover from injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Select footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Chesterfield, MO, our team of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: getting you back to what you love most. If you’re curious if gait analysis can help you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for you or make an appointment through our website to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When performed by licensed 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 recovery, and more. Because our gaits our the product of a combination 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 Chesterfield, 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 precise insights into your gait, your Chesterfield, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Chesterfield, 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 targeted and customized treatment. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Chesterfield, MO:

• Athletes searching for a performance boost — Proper form becomes essential at the peak of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address muscle imbalances and limited range of motion, 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 ensure that your body is healing and building strength properly.
• Anyone else recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, involved in a car accident, or need post-surgical therapy, you don’t have to be an athlete to gain advantages from gait analysis in aiding your healing from injury.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned veteran, gait analysis can assist you in finding the appropriate footwear, which, coupled with additional insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, conserve energy, and reduce the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically interrupt your movement health, along with causing phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices tailored to your body and lifestyle. It can also support you in adjusting to your new device and optimizing its function and convenience.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can significantly impact our everyday lives and movement health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to track disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably lose strength as we age. This can result in an heightened risk of falling for older adults, as well as degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in identifying ways to alleviate pressure on painful joints, minimize injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor facets of mobility health.

Regardless of why you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to eventually run that marathon or just enjoy your daily life without pain, Axes’ licensed therapists in Chesterfield, MO will apply gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in getting back to the experiences you cherish.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are typically two primary types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this method entails a physical therapist personally observing your gait in real time and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to gain a broad overview of your movement health and effortlessly spot any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis depends on the professional judgment of the therapist to draw conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this method employs specific technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to provide objective, measurable data regarding your gait. By utilizing precise numerical values, it enables more in-depth analysis and monitoring of your progress over a period of time.

Both qualitative and instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Chesterfield, MO possesses the capacity and expertise to customize our gait analysis services to address your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Chesterfield, MO

At Axes, our primary goal is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we employ every possible tool that can help our patients in Chesterfield, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Chesterfield, MO, our experienced physical therapists utilize advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that track your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software interprets that algorithmic information into useful information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to enable a more thorough analysis and breakdown of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their clinical observations to recommend successful, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly monitored over time and evaluated against the normal population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Chesterfield, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to delivering our Chesterfield, MO patients with successful, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that align with their daily lives 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 come to any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a thorough patient interview and assessment to gain insight into your objectives, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll build a team with you and your doctor, integrating the insights from gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, improving your mobility health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their success.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in picking suitable footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on sustaining proper posture and optimizing movement health, drawing on insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, alongside other quantitative data and indicators, to continuously evaluate your progress and adjust your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes provides a lot more than simply a list of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and advanced technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a dedicated team of physical therapists in Chesterfield, MO who are motivated to deliver excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Chesterfield, 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 Chesterfield, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can positively enhance your overall health and performance, whether that means moving down the field or going up stairs without pain. As we are committed to providing personalized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re one of the limited number of clinics in the Chesterfield, MO area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to improve your movement health, call the nearest Axes location or contact us online to find out if gait analysis in Chesterfield, MO is suitable for you.