Gait analysis in Ethlyn, MO. Gait analysis, also called motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare providers to assess your mobility to offer better treatment 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 personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Detect and address gait disorders
• Find out underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that leads to pain or affects movement health
• Evaluate and monitor treatment outcomes
• Prevent and recover from injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Find footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Ethlyn, MO, our staff of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: getting you back to what you enjoy most. If you’re wondering if gait analysis is right for you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for you or request an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When done by qualified 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 variety of factors – strength, flexibility, coordination, vision, the vestibular system – gait analysis can provide a valuable look at what may be affecting your movement health.

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

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Ethlyn, 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 customized treatment. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Ethlyn, MO:

• Athletes desiring a performance boost — Correct form becomes crucial at the highest level of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address muscle imbalances and limited range of motion, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recuperating from injury — If you’re coming back from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to monitor how your recovery’s going and verify that your body is recuperating and gaining strength appropriately.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, involved in a car accident, or had to get surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to experience advantages 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 runner, gait analysis can aid you in identifying the right footwear, which, together with additional insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, conserve energy, and reduce the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can significantly impede your mobility health, as well as resulting in phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices tailored to your body and lifestyle. It can also help you in adjusting to your new device and maximizing its function and convenience.
• People with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can significantly affect our day-to-day lives and movement health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to track disease progression, evaluate treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably lose strength as we age. This can result in an heightened risk of falling for older adults, in addition to degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can be beneficial in finding ways to lessen pressure on aching joints, mitigate injury risks, and evaluate the cognitive and motor elements of movement health.

No matter why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s striving to eventually run that marathon or simply enjoy your daily life without pain, Axes’ licensed therapists in Ethlyn, MO will employ gait analysis to customize 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 major types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this approach entails a physical therapist personally observing your gait as you walk and via video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to acquire a general assessment of your mobility health and effortlessly detect any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis utilizes the professional judgment of the therapist to make assessments.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this approach 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 detailed analysis and monitoring of your progress over a period of time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Ethlyn, MO has the ability and knowledge to personalize our gait analysis services to meet your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Ethlyn, MO

At Axes, our main aim is delivering positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in returning to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we utilize every possible tool that can help our patients in Ethlyn, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Ethlyn, MO, our expert physical therapists employ state-of-the-art DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide both qualitative and quantitative services.

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 algorithmic information into valuable information that your physical therapist can examine
• During video replay, 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 professional observations to recommend successful, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously tracked over time and compared against the average population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Ethlyn, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to offering our Ethlyn, MO patients with effective, safe, and evidence-backed treatment plans that fit their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be part of your personalized treatment plan:

• To begin the process, talk to your doctor to evaluate if gait analysis could be beneficial for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a detailed patient interview and physical examination to gain insight into your goals, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll form a team with you and your doctor, integrating the findings of gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, enhancing your movement health, and promoting overall wellness.
• 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 support you in choosing suitable footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while educating you on sustaining proper posture and improving movement health, drawing on insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll leverage gait analysis, together with other quantitative information and indicators, to continuously evaluate your progress and modify your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes provides much more than simply a series of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and state-of-the-art technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Ethlyn, MO who are motivated to provide excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Ethlyn, 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 Ethlyn, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly enhance your overall well-being and performance, whether that involves gliding down the court or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are committed to providing personalized, evidence-based treatment plans, we are the few clinics in the Ethlyn, 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 Ethlyn, MO is suitable for you.