Gait analysis in Hematite, MO. Gait analysis, alongside video motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare providers can assess your mobility to offer personalized treatment and get you back to the things you enjoy most. Whether you’re an athlete dealing with an injury or you’re trying to manage chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed treatment plan that’s tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Detect and address gait disorders
• Uncover underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that results in pain or influences movement health
• Measure and follow 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 Hematite, MO, our team of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re wondering if gait analysis can help you, call the Axes’ location nearest you or request an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When performed by licensed physical therapists, gait analysis is an assessment of how you move, specifically how you walk and run. By gaining precise information about 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 Hematite, 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 Hematite, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you get the most benefit for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Hematite, MO

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

• Athletes looking for a competitive advantage — Proper form becomes essential at the peak of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify strength imbalances and restricted mobility, and prevent injury.
• Athletes healing from injury — If you’re recovering from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to monitor your progress and confirm that your body is recuperating and developing strength correctly.
• Anyone else recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, involved in a car accident, or underwent recent surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to experience advantages 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 veteran, gait analysis can help you in identifying the suitable footwear, which, along with other insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, conserve energy, and minimize the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can significantly impede your movement 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 additionally help you in adapting to your new device and maximizing its function and convenience.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can profoundly influence our day-to-day functioning and movement health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and guide rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently lose strength as we age. This can result in an elevated risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can offer support in discovering ways to relieve pressure on aching joints, reduce injury risks, and evaluate the cognitive and motor aspects of mobility health.

Regardless of why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to ultimately run that marathon or simply enjoy your daily life without pain, Axes’ licensed therapists in Hematite, MO will apply gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and help you in getting back to the experiences you cherish.

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 technique entails a physical therapist personally observing your gait as you walk and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to acquire a broad overview of your movement health and effortlessly spot any apparent patterns. Qualitative gait analysis relies on the professional judgment of the therapist to make assessments.
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, quantifiable data about your gait. By utilizing precise numerical values, it allows more thorough analysis and monitoring of your progress over time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Hematite, MO possesses the capabilities and knowledge to tailor our gait analysis services to address your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Hematite, MO

At Axes, our primary focus is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we employ every available tool to support our patients in Hematite, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Hematite, MO, our experienced physical therapists utilize innovative DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer combined qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that track your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that algorithmic information into helpful information that your physical therapist can examine
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more detailed analysis and examination of your motion
• 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 average population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Hematite, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to providing our Hematite, MO patients with successful, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that fit their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be included in your personalized treatment plan:

• To start the process, consult your doctor to evaluate if gait analysis could be helpful for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a complimentary injury screening.
• We’ll perform a thorough patient interview and assessment to understand your objectives, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll create a partnership with you and your doctor, integrating the insights from gait analysis into your comprehensive treatment approach, improving your movement health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been validated through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their efficacy.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll support you in choosing appropriate footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on sustaining proper posture and improving movement health, utilizing insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll utilize gait analysis, together with other measurable information and indicators, to consistently evaluate your growth and modify your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes provides far more than just a list of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and cutting-edge technologies at our fingertips, Axes provides a specialized team of physical therapists in Hematite, MO who are driven to deliver the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Hematite, 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 Hematite, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly improve your overall health and performance, whether that involves flying down the field or climbing stairs without pain. As we are committed to providing individualized, evidence-based treatment plans, we’re one of the few clinics in the Hematite, MO area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to improve your movement health, get in touch with the nearest Axes location or contact us online to find out if gait analysis in Hematite, MO is suitable for you.