Gait analysis in Labadie, MO. Gait analysis, also known as motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare professionals can examine your mobility to offer better treatment and return you to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete healing from an injury or you’re trying to manage chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Find out underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that leads to pain or affects movement health
• Evaluate and monitor treatment outcomes
• Prevent and recover from injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Choose footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Labadie, MO, our staff of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: getting you back to what you enjoy most. If you’re wondering if gait analysis is right 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 carried out by licensed physical therapists, gait analysis is an assessment of how you move, specifically how you walk and run. By understanding how you walk and run, your physical therapist can offer insights into muscle imbalances, injury risks, the status 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 what may be keeping you from living the life you want.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Labadie, 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 exact understanding of your gait, your Labadie, 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 Labadie, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a treatment in and of itself, it offers valuable information to your physical therapist about your motion, allowing them to offer more focused and customized approach. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Labadie, MO:

• Athletes desiring a competitive edge — Correct form becomes essential at the zenith of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify muscle imbalances and restricted mobility, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recuperating from injury — If you’re coming back from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to track how your recovery’s going and verify that your body is healing and building strength properly.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, in a slip and fall, or need post-surgical therapy, you don’t have to be an athlete to gain positives from gait analysis in aiding your healing from trauma.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned vet, gait analysis can assist you in finding the right footwear, which, coupled with additional insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, save energy, and minimize the chance of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can significantly interrupt your mobility health, in addition to 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 support you in adjusting to your new device and optimizing its function and convenience.
• Those suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can profoundly affect our day-to-day functioning and movement health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently weaken as we age. This can result in 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 sore joints, mitigate injury risks, and examine the cognitive and motor elements of movement health.

No matter the reason you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s striving to finally run that marathon or just enjoy your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Labadie, MO will employ gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in returning to the activities you cherish.

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 observing your gait as you walk and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to gain a overall overview of your mobility health and easily spot any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis utilizes the professional judgment of the therapist to reach conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this approach employs advanced technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to offer objective, measurable data regarding your gait. By utilizing precise numerical values, it enables greater thorough analysis and tracking of your improvement over time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Labadie, MO possesses the ability and knowledge to personalize our gait analysis services to address your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Labadie, MO

At Axes, our primary objective is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we make use of every available tool to support our patients in Labadie, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Labadie, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists utilize advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer combined qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are placed on your body that track your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that hard data into valuable information that your physical therapist can review
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more comprehensive analysis and breakdown of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their professional observations to prescribe effective, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously tracked over time and evaluated against the typical population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Labadie, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to offering our Labadie, MO patients with effective, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that suit their daily lives and objectives. Gait analysis can be included in your customized treatment plan:

• To get started, speak with your doctor to evaluate if gait analysis might be advantageous for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a detailed patient interview and assessment to understand your goals, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll build a partnership with you and your doctor, incorporating the results of gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, optimizing your mobility 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 efficacy.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll support you in picking appropriate footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on achieving proper posture and optimizing movement health, drawing on insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll leverage gait analysis, together with other measurable data and markers, to continuously review your growth and adjust your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes delivers far more than just a list of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and cutting-edge technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Labadie, MO who are determined to deliver optimal results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Labadie, MO include:

• 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
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy

Call Axes’ for Your Gait Analysis in Labadie, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can positively contribute to your overall well-being and performance, whether that involves soaring down the field or climbing stairs without discomfort. As we are dedicated to offering customized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re one of the limited number of clinics in the Labadie, 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 determine if gait analysis in Labadie, MO is appropriate for you.