Gait analysis in Holstein, MO. Gait analysis, alongside video motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare professionals can evaluate your movement to offer better care and return you to the things you love 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 therapy program that’s tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Discover underlying musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that leads to pain or impacts movement health
• Evaluate and monitor treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehabilitate injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Find footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Holstein, MO, our staff of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: getting you back to what you enjoy most. If you’re curious if gait analysis can help 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 done 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 progress of injury rehabilitation, 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 affecting your movement health.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Holstein, 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 precise understanding of your gait, your Holstein, 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 Holstein, MO

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

• Athletes desiring a competitive edge — Proper form becomes vital at the zenith of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address strength imbalances and range of motion limitations, 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 recuperating and building 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 facilitating your recovery from trauma.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re an experienced veteran, gait analysis can assist you in identifying the appropriate footwear, which, along with other insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, save energy, and reduce the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can greatly impede your movement health, in addition to 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 also support you in acclimating to your new device and optimizing its function and comfort.
• People with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can profoundly affect our day-to-day lives and mobility health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, evaluate treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently lose strength as we age. This may lead to an elevated risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in identifying ways to alleviate pressure on painful joints, minimize injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor aspects of movement health.

No matter why you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s striving to eventually run that marathon or simply enjoy your daily life without pain, Axes’ licensed therapists in Holstein, MO will utilize gait analysis to customize your treatment, optimize your care, and help you in getting back to the activities you enjoy.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are commonly two primary types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this technique entails a physical therapist personally watching your gait in real time and via video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to gain a broad assessment of your mobility health and easily spot any apparent 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 specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to provide objective, measurable data regarding your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it enables more thorough analysis and monitoring of your progress over a period of time.

Both clinical and quantitative gait analysis are suitable in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Holstein, MO has the capabilities and expertise to personalize our gait analysis services to address your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Holstein, MO

At Axes, our primary goal is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we utilize every possible tool to support our patients in Holstein, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Holstein, MO, our experienced physical therapists employ state-of-the-art DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide combined qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are attached to your body that monitor your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that algorithmic information into valuable information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more comprehensive analysis and examination of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their professional observations to recommend efficient, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously monitored over time and evaluated against the typical population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Holstein, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to offering our Holstein, MO patients with successful, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that fit their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your individualized treatment plan:

• To begin the process, talk to your doctor to determine if gait analysis may be beneficial for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a detailed patient interview and physical examination to understand your goals, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll create a team with you and your doctor, including the results of gait analysis into your holistic 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 offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll support you in choosing proper footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while educating you on achieving proper posture and improving movement health, drawing on insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, alongside other quantitative information and markers, to continuously evaluate your growth and modify your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes provides a lot more than just a list of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and advanced technologies at our disposal, Axes provides a committed team of physical therapists in Holstein, MO who are motivated to provide excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Holstein, 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 Holstein, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can positively enhance your overall well-being and movement health, whether that means gliding down the court or climbing stairs without pain. As we are committed to offering individualized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re the few clinics in the Holstein, MO area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to improve your movement health, contact the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Holstein, MO is right for you.