Gait analysis in Hawk Point, MO. Gait analysis, also known as motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners to examine your movement to offer personalized therapy and get you back to the things you like doing most. Whether you’re an athlete healing from an injury or you’re trying to handle chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed plan of care that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

Your Hawk Point, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Uncover underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that results in pain or influences 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 Hawk Point, MO, our team of physical therapists are dedicated to one thing: getting you back to what you enjoy most. If you’re wondering if gait analysis would be beneficial for you, call the Axes’ location closest to you or schedule 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 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 your overall movement health.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Hawk Point, 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 exact understanding of your gait, your Hawk Point, MO physical therapist can customize your treatment and help you get the most rewards for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Hawk Point, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a treatment by itself, it provides valuable insights to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more specific and customized treatment. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Hawk Point, MO:

• Athletes searching for a competitive edge — Proper form becomes increasingly important at the zenith of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address strength imbalances and restricted mobility, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recovering from injury — If you’re coming back from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to track your progress and verify that your body is recovering and gaining strength properly.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, involved in a car accident, or need post-surgical therapy, you don’t have to be an athlete to gain positives from gait analysis in assisting your recovery from injury.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned vet, gait analysis can aid you in finding the appropriate footwear, which, coupled with further insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, save energy, and lower the chance of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically impede your mobility health, in addition to 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 optimizing its performance and convenience.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can significantly impact our day-to-day functioning and mobility health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and guide rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably weaken as we age. This can result in an increased risk of falling for older adults, as well as degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can offer support in discovering ways to relieve pressure on sore joints, reduce injury risks, and examine the cognitive and motor facets of mobility health.

No matter the reason you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to ultimately run that marathon or simply enjoy your day-to-day life without pain, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Hawk Point, MO will employ gait analysis to customize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in returning to the experiences you love.

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 method entails a physical therapist personally observing your gait in real time and through video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to gain a broad overview of your movement health and readily detect any observable 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 approach employs advanced technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, quantifiable data regarding your gait. By using precise numerical values, it allows greater in-depth analysis and monitoring of your improvement over time.

Both clinical and quantitative gait analysis are suitable in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Hawk Point, MO has the capabilities and knowledge to personalize our gait analysis services to meet your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Hawk Point, MO

At Axes, our primary objective is delivering positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in returning to what they love most. To accomplish this, we make use of every available tool to support our patients in Hawk Point, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Hawk Point, MO, our experienced physical therapists utilize cutting-edge DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are placed on your body that record your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software interprets that hard data into useful information that your physical therapist can examine
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more comprehensive analysis and breakdown of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist combines these insights with their clinical observations to prescribe effective, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously tracked over time and compared against the typical population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Hawk Point, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is committed to delivering our Hawk Point, MO patients with effective, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that suit their lifestyles and objectives. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your customized treatment plan:

• To get started, consult your doctor to evaluate if gait analysis may be helpful for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a thorough history taking and assessment to understand your objectives, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll build a team with you and your doctor, incorporating the insights from gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, improving your movement health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been validated through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their efficacy.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in selecting proper footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while educating you on sustaining proper posture and improving movement health, incorporating insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll utilize gait analysis, together with other quantitative information and indicators, to constantly assess your growth and adapt your treatment plan as needed.

Axes offers a lot more than just a series of exercises to check off. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and state-of-the-art technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a dedicated team of physical therapists in Hawk Point, MO who are driven to deliver excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Hawk Point, 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 Hawk Point, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly enhance your overall well-being and performance, regardless of whether that means moving down the field or climbing stairs without discomfort. As we are committed to providing customized, evidence-based treatment plans, we are among the limited number of clinics in the Hawk Point, MO area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to optimize your movement health, call the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Hawk Point, MO is appropriate for you.