Gait analysis in Ferguson, MO. Gait analysis, also called motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners to examine your movement to offer better therapy and return you to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete recovering from an injury or you’re trying to manage arthritis, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Find out hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that leads to pain or influences movement health
• Assess and track 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 Ferguson, MO, our staff of physical therapists are dedicated to one thing: getting you back to what you love most. If you’re curious if gait analysis is right for you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for you or schedule an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When performed by licensed physical therapists, gait analysis is an evaluation 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 status of injury recovery, and more. Because our gaits our the product 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 Ferguson, 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 Ferguson, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you get the most rewards for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Ferguson, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a treatment by itself, it offers essential information to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more targeted and personalized approach. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Ferguson, MO:

• Athletes looking for a competitive edge in their sport — Correct form becomes increasingly important at the highest level of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify strength imbalances and limited range of motion, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recovering from injury — If you’re coming off 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 developing strength adequately.
• Anyone else 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 derive advantages 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 runner, gait analysis can aid you in finding the right footwear, which, together with additional insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, preserve energy, and reduce the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can significantly impede your movement 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 adapting to your new device and maximizing its performance and comfort.
• People with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can profoundly influence our everyday functioning and movement health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently weaken as we age. This may lead to 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 alleviate pressure on aching joints, reduce injury risks, and examine the cognitive and motor facets of mobility health.

Regardless of why you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s striving to ultimately run that marathon or simply engage in your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Ferguson, MO will utilize gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and help you in returning to the activities you cherish.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are generally two major types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this technique entails a physical therapist directly observing your gait in real time and via video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to obtain a general assessment of your mobility health and easily identify any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis relies on the clinical expertise of the therapist to reach conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this method employs advanced technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to offer objective, measurable data regarding your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it allows greater thorough analysis and tracking of your improvement over a period of time.

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

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Ferguson, MO

At Axes, our main objective is delivering positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in getting back to what they love most. To accomplish this, we utilize every possible tool to support our patients in Ferguson, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Ferguson, MO, our experienced physical therapists utilize advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer combined qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that monitor your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that algorithmic information into useful information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more comprehensive analysis and examination of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their professional observations to prescribe efficient, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly monitored over time and compared against the normal population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Ferguson, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to providing our Ferguson, MO patients with successful, safe, and evidence-backed treatment plans that suit their daily lives and objectives. Gait analysis can be part of your customized treatment plan:

• To get started, consult your doctor to determine if gait analysis may be advantageous for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a thorough history taking and assessment to understand your goals, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll create a partnership with you and your doctor, incorporating the results of gait analysis into your comprehensive treatment approach, optimizing your mobility health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been proven through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their success.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in selecting suitable footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while informing you on sustaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, drawing on insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll utilize gait analysis, alongside other measurable information and markers, to constantly review your growth and adjust your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes provides a lot more than simply a series of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and advanced technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Ferguson, MO who are driven to provide optimal results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Ferguson, 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 Ferguson, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly improve your overall well-being and movement health, whether that involves soaring 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 Ferguson, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to enhance your movement health, get in touch with the nearest Axes location or contact us online to determine if gait analysis in Ferguson, MO is right for you.