Gait analysis in Foristell, MO. Gait analysis, in combination with video motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to assess your mobility to offer personalized therapy and get you back to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete dealing with an injury or you’re trying to handle arthritis, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Find out hidden 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
• Select footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Foristell, MO, our team of physical therapists base our practice on 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 make an appointment through our website to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When carried out by qualified physical therapists, gait analysis is an evaluation of how you move, specifically how you walk and run. By understanding how you walk and run, your physical therapist can offer insights into muscle imbalances, injury risks, the status of injury rehabilitation, 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 Foristell, 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 Foristell, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Foristell, MO

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

• Athletes desiring a competitive advantage — Correct form becomes crucial at the pinnacle of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify muscle imbalances and range of motion limitations, 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 track how your recovery’s going and verify that your body is recuperating and developing strength properly.
• Anyone else recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, involved in a car accident, or underwent recent surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to derive positives from gait analysis in assisting your recuperation from trauma.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re an experienced veteran, gait analysis can help you in finding the right footwear, which, together with further insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, conserve energy, and lower the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can significantly interrupt your mobility health, as well as 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 additionally support you in adjusting to your new device and optimizing its function and comfort.
• People with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can greatly influence our daily lives and movement health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably lose strength as we age. This may lead to an increased risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in identifying ways to relieve pressure on painful joints, mitigate injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor elements of movement health.

No matter the reason you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to eventually run that marathon or simply engage in your day-to-day life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Foristell, MO will employ gait analysis to customize your treatment, optimize your care, and help you in getting back to the activities you cherish.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are commonly two main types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this approach entails a physical therapist directly watching your gait in real time and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to obtain a overall assessment of your mobility health and easily spot any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis depends on the clinical expertise of the therapist to reach conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this method employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to provide objective, measurable data concerning your gait. By using precise numerical values, it allows greater thorough analysis and tracking of your improvement over time.

Both qualitative and quantitative gait analysis are appropriate in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Foristell, MO possesses the ability and expertise to customize our gait analysis services to address your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Foristell, MO

At Axes, our main objective is delivering positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in returning to what they love most. To accomplish this, we employ every available tool to support our patients in Foristell, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Foristell, MO, our expert physical therapists employ state-of-the-art DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide combined 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 complex data into helpful information that your physical therapist can examine
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to enable a more thorough analysis and examination of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their professional observations to prescribe successful, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly tracked over time and evaluated against the normal population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Foristell, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to providing our Foristell, MO patients with effective, safe, and evidence-backed treatment plans that suit their lifestyles and objectives. Gait analysis can be included in your customized treatment plan:

• To begin the process, ask your doctor if gait analysis might be beneficial for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a comprehensive history taking and physical examination to gain insight into your objectives, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll create a partnership with you and your doctor, including the findings of gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, optimizing your mobility health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been validated through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their success.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in selecting proper 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 employ gait analysis, together with other quantitative data and indicators, to continuously review your progress and modify your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes delivers much more than simply a series of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and cutting-edge technologies at our fingertips, Axes provides a committed team of physical therapists in Foristell, MO who are motivated to provide excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Foristell, 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 Foristell, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can positively improve your overall health and performance, whether that means flying down the field or climbing stairs without pain. As we are dedicated to providing individualized, evidence-based treatment plans, we’re among the limited number of clinics in the Foristell, 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 ascertain if gait analysis in Foristell, MO is appropriate for you.