Gait analysis in Clarkson Valley, MO. Gait analysis, alongside video motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to evaluate your mobility to offer better therapy and get you back to the things you love most. 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 Clarkson Valley, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Uncover underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that causes pain or impacts movement health
• Assess and track 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 Clarkson Valley, MO, our staff of physical therapists are committed to 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 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 rehabilitation, and more. Because our gaits our the result of a multitude of factors – strength, flexibility, coordination, vision, the vestibular system – gait analysis can provide a valuable look at what may be keeping you from living the life you want.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Clarkson Valley, 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 Clarkson Valley, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you achieve the most benefit for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Clarkson Valley, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a treatment in and of itself, it provides important information to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more specific and personalized treatment. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Clarkson Valley, MO:

• Athletes desiring a performance boost — Proper form becomes vital at the zenith of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify muscle imbalances and restricted mobility, and prevent injury.
• Athletes healing from injury — If you’re coming off an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to monitor how your recovery’s going and ensure that your body is recovering and building strength adequately.
• 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 derive benefits from gait analysis in assisting your healing 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 discovering the suitable footwear, which, along with further insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, save energy, and lower the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can significantly impede your mobility health, in addition to 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 also assist you in adjusting to your new device and optimizing its performance and comfort.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can profoundly impact our everyday lives and mobility health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently weaken as we age. This may lead to an elevated risk of falling for older adults, in addition to degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can offer support in finding ways to alleviate pressure on sore joints, reduce injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor aspects of mobility health.

Regardless of why you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to eventually run that marathon or simply engage in your day-to-day life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Clarkson Valley, MO will apply gait analysis to personalize your treatment, optimize your care, and assist you in getting back to the experiences you enjoy.

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 method entails a physical therapist directly observing your gait in real time and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to obtain a overall assessment of your mobility health and readily spot any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis utilizes the clinical expertise of the therapist to reach conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this method employs specific technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, quantifiable data regarding your gait. By using precise numerical values, it enables greater in-depth analysis and monitoring 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 Clarkson Valley, MO possesses the ability and expertise to customize our gait analysis services to fulfill your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Clarkson Valley, MO

At Axes, our primary aim is delivering positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in returning to what they love most. To accomplish this, we make use of every available tool that can help our patients in Clarkson Valley, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Clarkson Valley, MO, our experienced physical therapists utilize innovative DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer combined qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are attached to your body that record your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that hard data 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 movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist combines these insights with their clinical observations to recommend successful, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously tracked over time and evaluated against the normal population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Clarkson Valley, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to delivering our Clarkson Valley, MO patients with effective, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that suit their lifestyles and goals. Gait analysis can be included in your individualized treatment plan:

• To start the process, ask your doctor if gait analysis might be beneficial for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a complimentary injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a detailed history taking and physical examination to understand your goals, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll form a partnership with you and your doctor, including the insights from gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, optimizing your movement health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll create personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their success.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in picking proper footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on sustaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, utilizing insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll employ gait analysis, alongside other measurable information and markers, to consistently assess your progress and adapt your treatment plan as needed.

Axes provides a lot more than just a series of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and state-of-the-art technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Clarkson Valley, MO who are driven to deliver the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Clarkson Valley, MO include:

• Shoulder Pain Treatment
• Back Pain Treatment
• 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

Call Axes’ for Your Gait Analysis in Clarkson Valley, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly contribute to your overall well-being and performance, regardless of whether that involves moving down the field or going up stairs without pain. As we are dedicated to offering customized, evidence-based treatment plans, we are the limited number of clinics in the Clarkson Valley, MO area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to improve your movement health, get in touch with the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Clarkson Valley, MO is suitable for you.