Gait analysis in Hazelwood, MO. Gait analysis, also known as motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to assess your mobility to offer better therapy and return you to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete dealing with 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 tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Find out underlying musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that results in 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 Hazelwood, MO, our staff 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 closest to you or schedule an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When done by professional physical therapists, gait analysis is an assessment of how you move, specifically how you walk and run. By gaining precise information about 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 result of a combination of factors – strength, flexibility, coordination, vision, the vestibular system – gait analysis can provide a valuable look at what may be keeping you from living the life you want.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Hazelwood, 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 Hazelwood, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you achieve the most rewards for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Hazelwood, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a healing method in and of itself, it provides important insights to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more specific and customized treatment. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Hazelwood, MO:

• Athletes searching for a competitive advantage — Correct form becomes vital at the pinnacle 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 coming back from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to monitor your progress and confirm that your body is healing and gaining strength appropriately.
• Others 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 experience advantages from gait analysis in facilitating 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 discovering the suitable footwear, which, together with further insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, conserve energy, and minimize the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can significantly interrupt your movement health, along with 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 help you in adjusting to your new device and optimizing its function and convenience.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can profoundly influence our daily lives and mobility health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies naturally weaken as we age. This may lead to an elevated risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can offer support in identifying ways to relieve pressure on painful joints, minimize injury risks, and examine the cognitive and motor elements of mobility health.

Regardless of the reason you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s working to finally run that marathon or just enjoy your daily life without pain, Axes’ licensed therapists in Hazelwood, MO will apply gait analysis to customize your treatment, optimize your care, and assist you in returning to the pursuits you enjoy.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are generally two main types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this approach entails a physical therapist directly observing your gait as you walk and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to gain a broad overview of your movement health and effortlessly detect any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis relies on the professional judgment 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 provide objective, measurable data regarding your gait. By using precise numerical values, it enables greater in-depth analysis and monitoring of your progress over time.

Both qualitative and instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Hazelwood, MO possesses the capacity and expertise to tailor our gait analysis services to address your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Hazelwood, 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 available tool to support our patients in Hazelwood, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Hazelwood, MO, our experienced physical therapists utilize advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide combined qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that track your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that algorithmic information into useful information that your physical therapist can review
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to aid a more comprehensive analysis and examination of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their clinical observations to recommend effective, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly monitored over time and evaluated against the average population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Hazelwood, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is committed to offering our Hazelwood, MO patients with effective, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that suit their lifestyles and goals. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your individualized treatment plan:

• To get started, ask your doctor if gait analysis may be beneficial for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a detailed history taking and physical examination to understand your objectives, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll build a partnership with you and your doctor, incorporating the findings of gait analysis into your comprehensive treatment approach, enhancing your movement health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been proven through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their success.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in choosing appropriate footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on achieving proper posture and improving movement health, utilizing insights acquired from gait analysis.
• We’ll utilize gait analysis, alongside other measurable data and indicators, to continuously review your progress and modify your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes offers a lot more than just a list of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and innovative technologies at our disposal, Axes provides a dedicated team of physical therapists in Hazelwood, MO who are determined to provide the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Hazelwood, 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 Hazelwood, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly improve your overall well-being and performance, whether that means soaring down the court or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are dedicated to offering individualized, evidence-based treatment plans, we’re among the few clinics in the Hazelwood, MO area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to optimize your movement health, contact the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Hazelwood, MO is right for you.