Gait analysis in Doe Run, MO. Gait analysis, alongside video motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare providers to evaluate your movement to offer better care and return you to the things you enjoy most. Whether you’re an athlete healing from an injury or you’re trying to manage arthritis, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed treatment plan that’s tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

Your Doe Run, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Detect and address gait disorders
• Uncover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that results in pain or affects movement health
• Evaluate and monitor 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 Doe Run, MO, our staff of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re curious if gait analysis is right for 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 professional 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 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 Doe Run, 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 Doe Run, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Doe Run, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a healing method by itself, it provides essential information to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more targeted and personalized approach. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Doe Run, MO:

• Athletes looking for a competitive advantage — Correct form becomes crucial at the highest level of competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address strength imbalances and limited range of motion, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recovering 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 recuperating and gaining strength properly.
• Anyone else recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, in a slip and fall, or underwent recent surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to derive benefits from gait analysis in aiding your healing from trauma.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re an experienced vet, gait analysis can assist you in discovering the appropriate footwear, which, along with further insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, save energy, and lower the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can significantly impede your mobility health, along with 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 support you in acclimating to your new device and maximizing its performance and comfort.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can significantly influence our everyday lives and mobility health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and guide 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 painful joints, mitigate injury risks, and evaluate the cognitive and motor facets of movement health.

Regardless of why you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s working to ultimately run that marathon or just enjoy your day-to-day life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Doe Run, MO will apply gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in getting back to the pursuits you love.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are commonly two primary types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this method entails a physical therapist directly watching your gait as you walk and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to gain a general assessment of your movement health and effortlessly detect any noticeable 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 approach employs advanced technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, quantifiable data regarding your gait. By using precise numerical values, it enables more thorough analysis and tracking of your improvement over a period of time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Doe Run, MO possesses the capabilities and knowledge to customize our gait analysis services to fulfill your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Doe Run, MO

At Axes, our primary goal is delivering positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in returning to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we employ every available tool to support our patients in Doe Run, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Doe Run, MO, our expert physical therapists utilize cutting-edge DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that record your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that algorithmic information into valuable information that your physical therapist can examine
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to enable a more detailed analysis and examination of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist combines these insights with their clinical observations to prescribe effective, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously tracked over time and evaluated against the normal population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Doe Run, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to providing our Doe Run, MO patients with successful, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that suit their daily lives and objectives. Gait analysis can be included in your customized treatment plan:

• To get started, consult your doctor to evaluate if gait analysis could be helpful for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a complimentary injury screening.
• We’ll perform a thorough patient interview and physical examination to understand your goals, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll form a partnership with you and your doctor, integrating the insights from gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, enhancing your mobility health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been validated through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in selecting appropriate footwear, braces, or other devices, while educating you on achieving proper posture and enhancing movement health, incorporating insights acquired from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, together with other quantitative information and indicators, to constantly assess your growth and modify your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes provides a lot more than simply a series of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and state-of-the-art technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a dedicated team of physical therapists in Doe Run, MO who are determined to provide excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Doe Run, 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 Doe Run, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly improve your overall well-being and performance, regardless of whether that means gliding down the court or climbing stairs without pain. As we are committed to offering customized treatment plans that are proven to work, we are one of the limited number of clinics in the Doe Run, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to optimize your movement health, call the nearest Axes location or contact us online to find out if gait analysis in Doe Run, MO is suitable for you.