Gait analysis in Eureka, MO. Gait analysis, also referred to as motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners to assess your movement to offer better treatment and return you to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete recovering from an injury or you’re trying to handle arthritis, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed treatment plan that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Discover underlying musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that leads to pain or impacts movement health
• Measure and follow treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehab injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Choose footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Eureka, 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 closest to you or request an appointment online 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 walk and run, 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 affecting your movement health.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Eureka, 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 precise understanding of your gait, your Eureka, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you get the most benefit for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Eureka, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a healing method by itself, it offers valuable insights to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more specific and personalized care. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Eureka, MO:

• Athletes searching for a competitive edge in their sport — Proper form becomes increasingly important at the highest level of sports. 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 track how your recovery’s going and confirm that your body is recuperating and gaining strength correctly.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, involved in a car accident, or need post-surgical therapy, you don’t have to be an athlete to gain benefits from gait analysis in aiding your recovery 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 discovering the suitable footwear, which, along with further insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, preserve energy, and reduce the chance of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically disrupt your mobility health, in addition to resulting in phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices specifically designed to your body and lifestyle. It can furthermore support you in acclimating to your new device and maximizing its performance and convenience.
• People with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can profoundly impact our everyday functioning and movement health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to track disease progression, evaluate treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies naturally lose strength as we age. This can cause an elevated risk of falling for older adults, in addition to degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can offer support in discovering ways to relieve pressure on aching joints, minimize injury risks, and evaluate the cognitive and motor aspects of movement health.

Regardless of the reason you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s working to eventually run that marathon or simply engage in your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Eureka, MO will employ gait analysis to customize your treatment, maximize your care, and help you in returning to the pursuits you cherish.

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 personally observing your gait as you walk and via video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to obtain a general assessment of your mobility health and effortlessly identify any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis utilizes the clinical expertise of the therapist to make assessments.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this approach employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to offer objective, quantifiable data regarding your gait. By utilizing precise numerical values, it allows 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 Eureka, MO has the ability and expertise to personalize our gait analysis services to address your particular needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Eureka, MO

At Axes, our primary aim is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in getting back to what they love most. To accomplish this, we utilize every possible tool that can help our patients in Eureka, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Eureka, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists employ state-of-the-art DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer combined qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that monitor your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software interprets that algorithmic information into valuable information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to enable a more detailed analysis and examination of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their professional observations to prescribe effective, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously monitored over time and compared against the average population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Eureka, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to offering our Eureka, MO patients with effective, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that align with their lifestyles and objectives. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your customized treatment plan:

• To start the process, speak with your doctor to determine if gait analysis might be advantageous for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a thorough history taking and physical examination to understand your objectives, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll create a team with you and your doctor, incorporating the insights from gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, optimizing your movement health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their efficacy.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in selecting proper footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on maintaining proper posture and optimizing movement health, utilizing insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll utilize gait analysis, alongside other quantitative data and markers, to constantly assess your growth and modify your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes provides much more than just a series of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and advanced technologies at our disposal, Axes provides a specialized team of physical therapists in Eureka, MO who are motivated to provide the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Eureka, 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 Eureka, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly contribute to your overall health and performance, regardless of whether that means flying down the court or going up stairs without discomfort. As we are dedicated to providing personalized, evidence-based treatment plans, we are among the limited number of clinics in the Eureka, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to optimize your movement health, reach out to the nearest Axes location or contact us online to determine if gait analysis in Eureka, MO is suitable for you.