Gait analysis in Clearwater, MO. Gait analysis, in combination with video motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare providers can assess your movement to offer better therapy and return you to the things you enjoy most. Whether you’re an athlete dealing with an injury or you’re trying to handle chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Discover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that results in pain or affects movement health
• Evaluate and monitor treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehabilitate injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Select footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Clearwater, MO, our staff of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: getting you back to what you enjoy most. If you’re curious if gait analysis would be beneficial for 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 done by credentialed 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 your overall movement health.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Clearwater, 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 Clearwater, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Clearwater, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy in and of itself, it offers valuable insights to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more specific and customized approach. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Clearwater, MO:

• Athletes searching for a competitive advantage — Correct form becomes increasingly important at the peak of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify muscle imbalances and range of motion limitations, 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 developing strength adequately.
• Others 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 aiding your recuperation from trauma.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned veteran, gait analysis can aid you in discovering the appropriate footwear, which, along with other insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, save energy, and minimize the chance of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically impede your movement health, along with resulting in phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices customized to your body and lifestyle. It can additionally support you in adapting to your new device and optimizing its function and comfort.
• People suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can greatly impact our everyday lives and mobility health. Gait analysis allows 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 increased risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can be beneficial in discovering ways to alleviate pressure on sore joints, minimize injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor aspects of movement health.

Regardless of why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to ultimately run that marathon or just engage in your daily life without pain, Axes’ licensed therapists in Clearwater, MO will employ gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in getting back to the activities you cherish.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are generally two main types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this approach entails a physical therapist personally observing your gait in real time and through video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to acquire a broad assessment of your mobility health and easily detect any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis relies on the professional judgment of the therapist to draw conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this technique employs advanced technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to offer objective, quantifiable data regarding your gait. By utilizing precise numerical values, it allows more in-depth analysis and tracking of your improvement over a period of time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are suitable in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Clearwater, MO possesses the ability and knowledge to customize our gait analysis services to address your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Clearwater, MO

At Axes, our main goal is achieving positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we make use of every possible tool that can help our patients in Clearwater, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Clearwater, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists employ advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are placed on your body that record your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that complex data into helpful information that your physical therapist can examine
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more comprehensive analysis and breakdown of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist combines these insights with their professional observations to prescribe successful, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously monitored over time and compared against the typical population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Clearwater, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to providing our Clearwater, MO patients with successful, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that align with their daily lives and objectives. Gait analysis can be included in your personalized treatment plan:

• To get started, ask your doctor if gait analysis may be helpful for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a complimentary injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a detailed patient interview and physical examination to gain insight into your objectives, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll create a team with you and your doctor, integrating the results of gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, enhancing your mobility health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll support you in selecting suitable footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while educating you on achieving proper posture and improving movement health, incorporating insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll leverage gait analysis, together with other quantitative information and indicators, to constantly assess your growth and modify your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes offers much more than simply a list of exercises to check off. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and state-of-the-art technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a specialized team of physical therapists in Clearwater, MO who are driven to provide optimal results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Clearwater, MO include:

• 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
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy

Call Axes’ for Your Gait Analysis in Clearwater, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can positively enhance your overall well-being and movement health, regardless of whether that means gliding down the field or climbing stairs without pain. As we are dedicated to offering individualized treatment plans that are proven to work, we are one of the limited number of clinics in the Clearwater, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to enhance your movement health, reach out to the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Clearwater, MO is right for you.