Gait analysis in Howell, MO. Gait analysis, also called motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to assess your mobility to offer better treatment and get you back to the things you like doing most. Whether you’re an athlete recovering from an injury or you’re trying to handle chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed treatment plan that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Detect and address gait disorders
• Discover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that results in pain or affects 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 Howell, MO, our staff of physical therapists are dedicated to one thing: getting you back to what you enjoy most. If you’re wondering if gait analysis can help you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for you or schedule an appointment through our website to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When carried out by qualified physical therapists, gait analysis is an evaluation 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 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 Howell, 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 Howell, 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 Howell, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a treatment in and of itself, it provides crucial data to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more focused and customized treatment. As such, gait analysis can be advantageous for a wide range of people in Howell, MO:

• Athletes seeking a competitive edge — Correct form becomes increasingly important at the peak of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify strength imbalances and range of motion limitations, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recuperating from injury — If you’re coming off an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to monitor how your recovery’s going and ensure that your body is recuperating and developing strength adequately.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, involved in a car accident, or had to get surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to gain positives from gait analysis in assisting your recuperation from injury.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re an experienced runner, gait analysis can help you in identifying the right footwear, which, along with further insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, preserve energy, and reduce the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically impede your mobility health, as well as causing phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices customized to your body and lifestyle. It can additionally help you in adapting to your new device and maximizing its performance and comfort.
• People suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can significantly impact our everyday lives and mobility health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently weaken as we age. This can result in an elevated risk of falling for older adults, as well as degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can offer support in identifying ways to relieve pressure on aching joints, mitigate injury risks, and evaluate the cognitive and motor facets of mobility health.

Regardless of the reason you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s working to ultimately run that marathon or simply engage in your daily life without pain, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Howell, MO will employ gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist 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 approach entails a physical therapist directly observing your gait as you walk and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to obtain a broad assessment of your movement health and effortlessly identify any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis depends on the professional judgment of the therapist to draw conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this approach employs specific technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, measurable data regarding your gait. By using precise numerical values, it enables more thorough analysis and monitoring of your improvement over a period of time.

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

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Howell, MO

At Axes, our main objective is delivering positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we make use of every available tool that can help our patients in Howell, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Howell, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists employ cutting-edge DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide both qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are attached to your body that track your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that algorithmic information into valuable information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to enable a more comprehensive analysis and breakdown of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their clinical observations to prescribe efficient, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously monitored over time and compared against the normal population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Howell, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is committed to providing our Howell, MO patients with effective, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that align with their daily lives and objectives. Gait analysis can be part of your personalized treatment plan:

• To begin the process, ask your doctor if gait analysis might be helpful for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a thorough patient interview and assessment to understand your goals, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll build a partnership with you and your doctor, incorporating the results of gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, enhancing your movement health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll create personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their success.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in choosing suitable footwear, braces, or other devices, while educating you on achieving proper posture and enhancing movement health, drawing on insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll employ gait analysis, together with other measurable data and markers, to consistently evaluate your progress and modify your treatment plan as necessary.

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

Other services we offer in Howell, 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 Howell, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly enhance your overall well-being and movement health, whether that involves gliding down the court or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are dedicated to offering individualized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re among the few clinics in the Howell, MO area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to enhance your movement health, reach out to the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Howell, MO is appropriate for you.