Gait analysis in Dardenne Prairie, MO. Gait analysis, also referred to as motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to examine your movement to offer personalized care and return you to the activities you love. 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 plan of care that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

Your Dardenne Prairie, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Find out underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that results in pain or impacts movement health
• Evaluate and monitor treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehabilitate injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Find footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Dardenne Prairie, MO, our staff of physical therapists are committed to 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 make an appointment through our website to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When carried out by licensed physical therapists, gait analysis is an assessment of how you move, specifically how you walk and run. By gaining precise information about how you move, your physical therapist can offer insights into muscle imbalances, injury risks, the status of injury recovery, 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 Dardenne Prairie, 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 Dardenne Prairie, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you get the most benefit for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Dardenne Prairie, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy by itself, it provides valuable data to your physical therapist about your motion, allowing them to offer more specific and personalized care. As such, gait analysis can be advantageous for a wide range of people in Dardenne Prairie, MO:

• Athletes desiring a competitive edge in their sport — Proper form becomes crucial at the highest level of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address muscle imbalances and restricted mobility, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recuperating from injury — If you’re coming off an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to track how your recovery’s going and confirm that your body is recuperating and building strength properly.
• Others 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 gain benefits from gait analysis in assisting your recuperation from trauma.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned runner, gait analysis can aid you in identifying the right footwear, which, coupled with additional insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, conserve energy, and reduce the chance of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically disrupt your mobility health, in addition to causing phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices customized to your body and lifestyle. It can additionally help you in adapting to your new device and maximizing its performance and comfort.
• People suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can profoundly impact our day-to-day functioning and movement health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably weaken as we age. This can result in an elevated risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in finding ways to lessen pressure on aching 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 ultimately run that marathon or simply engage in your day-to-day life without pain, Axes’ licensed therapists in Dardenne Prairie, MO will employ gait analysis to customize your treatment, maximize your care, and help you in getting back to the pursuits you love.

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 technique entails a physical therapist directly observing your gait as you walk and via video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to acquire a general assessment of your movement health and easily detect any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis utilizes the professional judgment of the therapist to draw conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this technique employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to offer objective, quantifiable data regarding your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it allows greater detailed analysis and monitoring of your improvement over time.

Both qualitative and instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Dardenne Prairie, MO has the capabilities and expertise to tailor our gait analysis services to fulfill your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Dardenne Prairie, MO

At Axes, our main goal is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in returning to what they love most. To accomplish this, we make use of every available tool to support our patients in Dardenne Prairie, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Dardenne Prairie, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists utilize cutting-edge 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 movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that algorithmic information into useful information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to aid a more detailed analysis and breakdown of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their clinical observations to prescribe successful, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly tracked over time and evaluated against the normal population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Dardenne Prairie, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to offering our Dardenne Prairie, MO patients with successful, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that fit their lifestyles and goals. Gait analysis can be included in your customized treatment plan:

• To get started, speak with your doctor to assess if gait analysis may 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 objectives, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll create a partnership with you and your doctor, incorporating the results of gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, improving your movement health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been proven through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their efficacy.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll support you in picking proper footwear, braces, or other devices, while educating you on maintaining proper posture and optimizing movement health, drawing on insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, alongside other measurable information and markers, to constantly evaluate your growth and modify your treatment plan as needed.

Axes provides much more than simply a list of exercises to check off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and innovative technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a specialized team of physical therapists in Dardenne Prairie, MO who are determined to provide the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Dardenne Prairie, 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 Dardenne Prairie, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly enhance your overall well-being and movement health, regardless of whether that involves gliding down the field or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are dedicated to offering personalized, evidence-based treatment plans, we are among the limited number of clinics in the Dardenne Prairie, 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 determine if gait analysis in Dardenne Prairie, MO is right for you.