Gait analysis in Hoene Spring, MO. Gait analysis, also known as motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners can assess your mobility to offer better therapy and return you to the things you enjoy most. Whether you’re an athlete recovering from an injury or you’re trying to cope with chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

Your Hoene Spring, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Detect and address gait disorders
• Discover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that results in pain or impacts movement health
• Measure and follow treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehab injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Find footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Hoene Spring, MO, our staff of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re wondering if gait analysis would be beneficial for you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for you or make an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When carried out by credentialed 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 progress of injury rehabilitation, and more. Because our gaits our the product 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 Hoene Spring, 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 accurate understanding of your gait, your Hoene Spring, MO physical therapist can customize your treatment and help you get the most benefit for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Hoene Spring, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy in and of itself, it offers essential insights to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more specific and customized care. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Hoene Spring, MO:

• Athletes looking for a competitive edge — Correct form becomes crucial at the zenith of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify 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 monitor how your recovery’s going and confirm that your body is healing and building strength appropriately.
• 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 experience benefits from gait analysis in aiding your recuperation from trauma.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned runner, gait analysis can assist you in finding the appropriate footwear, which, along with additional insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, save energy, and lower the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically impede your movement health, along with 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 support you in adjusting to your new device and maximizing its performance and convenience.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can greatly impact our day-to-day functioning and mobility health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to track disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably weaken as we age. This can cause an heightened risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in finding ways to alleviate pressure on aching joints, mitigate injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor elements of movement health.

Regardless of why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s striving to eventually run that marathon or just engage in your day-to-day life without pain, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Hoene Spring, MO will utilize gait analysis to customize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in returning to the activities you cherish.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are typically two primary 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 obtain a overall assessment of your movement health and effortlessly detect any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis depends on the professional judgment of the therapist to reach conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this approach employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to offer objective, measurable data concerning your gait. By utilizing precise numerical values, it enables more detailed analysis and monitoring of your improvement over a period of time.

Both clinical and quantitative gait analysis are appropriate in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Hoene Spring, MO has the capabilities and knowledge to tailor our gait analysis services to fulfill your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Hoene Spring, MO

At Axes, our primary aim is achieving positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in returning to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we make use of every possible tool that can help our patients in Hoene Spring, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Hoene Spring, MO, our expert physical therapists utilize cutting-edge DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer combined qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that monitor your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that complex data into valuable information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more thorough analysis and examination of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their clinical observations to prescribe efficient, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly tracked over time and compared against the typical population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Hoene Spring, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is committed to offering our Hoene Spring, MO patients with successful, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that suit their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your individualized treatment plan:

• To get started, talk to your doctor to evaluate if gait analysis could be helpful for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a thorough history taking and assessment to understand your goals, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll create a team with you and your doctor, incorporating the findings of gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, improving your movement health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their success.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in picking appropriate footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while informing you on achieving proper posture and enhancing movement health, drawing on insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll leverage gait analysis, together with other measurable information and markers, to continuously evaluate your growth and modify your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes provides far more than simply a list of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and innovative technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Hoene Spring, MO who are driven to provide optimal results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Hoene Spring, 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 Hoene Spring, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can positively enhance your overall health and performance, regardless of whether that involves flying down the field or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are dedicated to offering personalized treatment plans that are proven to work, we are one of the limited number of clinics in the Hoene Spring, MO area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to improve your movement health, reach out to the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Hoene Spring, MO is right for you.