Gait analysis in Kinloch, MO. Gait analysis, in combination with video motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare providers can examine your movement to offer better therapy and get you back to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete dealing with an injury or you’re trying to cope with arthritis, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed treatment plan that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Discover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that results in pain or impacts movement health
• Evaluate and monitor treatment outcomes
• Prevent and recover from injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Select footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Kinloch, MO, our team of physical therapists are devoted to one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re curious if gait analysis would be beneficial for you, call the Axes’ location closest to you or request an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When done by professional physical therapists, gait analysis is an assessment 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 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 what may be affecting your movement health.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Kinloch, 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 Kinloch, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Kinloch, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy in and of itself, it provides valuable data to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more focused and customized approach. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Kinloch, MO:

• Athletes searching for a competitive edge — Correct form becomes essential at the pinnacle of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address muscle 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 healing and developing strength appropriately.
• 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 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 runner, gait analysis can help you in discovering the suitable footwear, which, together with additional insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, save energy, and reduce the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically disrupt your movement health, as well as causing 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 help you in adjusting to your new device and optimizing its performance and convenience.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can profoundly impact our daily functioning and mobility health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to monitor 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 like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in discovering ways to lessen pressure on sore joints, reduce injury risks, and examine the cognitive and motor aspects of movement health.

No matter the reason you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s working to eventually run that marathon or just enjoy your day-to-day life without pain, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Kinloch, MO will utilize gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and help you in returning to the pursuits you love.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are commonly two main 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 acquire a broad assessment of your movement health and effortlessly spot any noticeable 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 method employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to offer objective, quantifiable data about your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it enables greater thorough analysis and monitoring of your improvement over a period of time.

Both qualitative and quantitative gait analysis are suitable in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Kinloch, MO possesses the capacity and knowledge to tailor our gait analysis services to fulfill your particular needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Kinloch, MO

At Axes, our primary objective is delivering positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in returning to what they love most. To accomplish this, we employ every available tool that can help our patients in Kinloch, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Kinloch, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists utilize cutting-edge DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are attached to your body that record your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that algorithmic information into helpful information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more detailed analysis and breakdown of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist combines these insights with their professional observations to recommend effective, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously tracked over time and compared against the typical population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Kinloch, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to providing our Kinloch, MO patients with successful, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that align with their lifestyles and objectives. Gait analysis can be included in your personalized treatment plan:

• To get started, ask your doctor if gait analysis could be helpful for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a detailed patient interview and assessment to gain insight into your objectives, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll build a team with you and your doctor, including the findings of gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, optimizing your movement health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll create personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their efficacy.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in picking proper footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on maintaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, utilizing insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll utilize gait analysis, together with other quantitative information and indicators, to continuously evaluate your progress and modify your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes provides much more than simply a series of exercises to check off. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and cutting-edge technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Kinloch, MO who are motivated to deliver the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Kinloch, 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 Kinloch, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can positively improve your overall health and performance, whether that means moving down the field or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are committed to offering individualized treatment plans that are proven to work, we are one of the few clinics in the Kinloch, MO area that provide 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 Kinloch, MO is right for you.