Gait analysis in Imperial, MO. Gait analysis, also called motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare providers can evaluate your movement to offer better therapy and return you to the activities you love. 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 treatment plan that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Imperial, 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 would be beneficial for you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for you or schedule 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 recovery, 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 Imperial, 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 Imperial, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Imperial, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a healing method in and of itself, it provides valuable information to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more specific and customized approach. As such, gait analysis can be advantageous for a wide range of people in Imperial, MO:

• Athletes desiring a competitive advantage — Correct form becomes essential at the peak of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address strength imbalances and limited range of motion, and prevent injury.
• Athletes healing 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 verify that your body is healing and gaining strength correctly.
• Anyone else recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, in a slip and fall, or had to get surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to derive positives from gait analysis in aiding your recuperation 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 identifying the appropriate footwear, which, along with additional insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, conserve energy, and lower the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically interrupt your mobility health, as well as 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 adapting to your new device and maximizing its function and convenience.
• People with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can significantly influence our day-to-day functioning and mobility health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to track disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and guide rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably weaken as we age. This may lead to an heightened risk of falling for older adults, in addition to degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in discovering ways to lessen pressure on aching joints, minimize injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor aspects of mobility health.

No matter why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to eventually run that marathon or just enjoy your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Imperial, MO will apply gait analysis to customize your treatment, optimize your care, and assist you in getting back to the pursuits you cherish.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are commonly two major 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 through video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to obtain a broad assessment of your mobility health and effortlessly spot any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis utilizes the professional judgment of the therapist to make assessments.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this technique employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, quantifiable data about your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it enables greater detailed analysis and monitoring of your progress over a period of time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are suitable in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Imperial, MO has the ability and knowledge to personalize our gait analysis services to address your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Imperial, MO

At Axes, our main focus is achieving positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in getting back to what they love most. To accomplish this, we employ every possible tool that can help our patients in Imperial, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Imperial, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists utilize innovative DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide combined qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are attached to your body that monitor your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that complicated data into useful information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to enable a more detailed analysis and examination of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their professional observations to recommend successful, proven 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 Imperial, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to delivering our Imperial, MO patients with effective, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that suit their lifestyles and goals. Gait analysis can be part of your individualized treatment plan:

• To begin the process, talk to your doctor to determine if gait analysis could be beneficial for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a thorough patient interview and physical examination to understand your goals, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll form a partnership with you and your doctor, incorporating the insights from gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, improving your mobility health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll create personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in selecting appropriate footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while educating you on achieving proper posture and enhancing movement health, incorporating insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, alongside other measurable information and markers, to consistently assess your growth and modify your treatment plan as needed.

Axes offers far more than simply a list of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and state-of-the-art technologies at our fingertips, Axes provides a committed team of physical therapists in Imperial, MO who are driven to provide excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Imperial, 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 Imperial, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly improve your overall health and performance, whether that means flying down the field or climbing stairs without discomfort. As we are committed to providing individualized treatment plans that are proven to work, we are one of the limited number of clinics in the Imperial, MO area that provide 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 Imperial, MO is appropriate for you.