Gait analysis in Grantwood Village, MO. Gait analysis, also called motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to evaluate your movement to offer better therapy and return you to the things you like doing 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 plan of care that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

Your Grantwood Village, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Detect and address gait disorders
• Find out hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that causes pain or influences movement health
• Measure and follow treatment outcomes
• Prevent and recover from injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Choose footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Grantwood Village, MO, our team of physical therapists are devoted to one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re curious if gait analysis is right for you, call the Axes’ location nearest you or request an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When done by credentialed 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 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 Grantwood Village, 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 Grantwood Village, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you achieve the most benefit for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Grantwood Village, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a treatment by itself, it provides valuable information to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more specific and customized care. As such, gait analysis can be advantageous for a wide range of people in Grantwood Village, MO:

• Athletes desiring a performance boost — Correct form becomes essential at the zenith of competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address strength imbalances and limited range of motion, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recuperating from injury — If you’re recovering 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 healing and developing strength properly.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, in a slip and fall, or had to get surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to gain 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 vet, gait analysis can help you in identifying the suitable footwear, which, along with other insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, preserve energy, and lower the chance of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can greatly interrupt your mobility health, in addition to causing phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices tailored to your body and lifestyle. It can furthermore help you in adjusting to your new device and optimizing its performance and comfort.
• People with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can profoundly affect our daily functioning and mobility health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, evaluate treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably weaken as we age. This may lead to an elevated risk of falling for older adults, as well as degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can offer support in identifying ways to relieve pressure on sore joints, minimize injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor elements of mobility health.

No matter why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to eventually run that marathon or just enjoy your day-to-day life without pain, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Grantwood Village, MO will employ gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in getting back to the activities you enjoy.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are typically two main types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this method entails a physical therapist personally watching your gait in real time and through video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to obtain a general assessment of your movement health and easily detect any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis relies on the clinical expertise of the therapist to draw conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this technique employs specific technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to offer objective, quantifiable data regarding your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it allows greater detailed analysis and monitoring of your improvement over time.

Both clinical and quantitative gait analysis are appropriate in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Grantwood Village, MO has the capabilities and expertise to tailor our gait analysis services to fulfill your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Grantwood Village, MO

At Axes, our main focus is delivering positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we employ every available tool to support our patients in Grantwood Village, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Grantwood Village, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists employ advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer 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 useful information that your physical therapist can review
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to aid a more comprehensive analysis and breakdown of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their clinical observations to prescribe successful, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously monitored over time and compared against the typical population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Grantwood Village, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to delivering our Grantwood Village, MO patients with successful, safe, and evidence-backed treatment plans that align with their daily lives and objectives. Gait analysis can be included in your individualized treatment plan:

• To begin the process, ask your doctor if gait analysis could be helpful for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a complimentary injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a thorough history taking and assessment to gain insight into your goals, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll form a team with you and your doctor, integrating the results of gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, enhancing your mobility health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll support you in selecting proper footwear, braces, or other devices, while educating you on achieving proper posture and optimizing movement health, incorporating insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, together with other measurable information and markers, to consistently review your progress and adjust your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes offers a lot more than just a list of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and state-of-the-art technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a dedicated team of physical therapists in Grantwood Village, MO who are driven to deliver the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Grantwood Village, 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 Grantwood Village, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can positively enhance your overall well-being and movement health, regardless of whether that means gliding down the court or climbing stairs without pain. As we are dedicated to offering personalized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re among the limited number of clinics in the Grantwood Village, 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 Grantwood Village, MO is right for you.