Gait analysis in Labarque Creek, MO. Gait analysis, alongside video motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to assess your movement to offer better care and get you back to the things you like doing most. Whether you’re an athlete healing from an injury or you’re trying to cope with arthritis, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

Your Labarque Creek, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Uncover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that causes pain or affects movement health
• Evaluate and monitor 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 Labarque Creek, MO, our staff of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re wondering if gait analysis would be beneficial for you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for you or request 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 understanding how you walk and run, your physical therapist can offer insights into muscle imbalances, injury risks, the status of injury recovery, and more. Because our gaits our the result of a multitude 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 Labarque Creek, 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 Labarque Creek, MO physical therapist can customize your treatment and help you get the most rewards for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Labarque Creek, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a healing method in and of itself, it offers important information to your physical therapist about your motion, allowing them to offer more specific and personalized care. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Labarque Creek, MO:

• Athletes searching for a competitive edge in their sport — Correct form becomes essential at the pinnacle of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify muscle imbalances and limited range of motion, 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 track how your recovery’s going and confirm that your body is recovering and gaining strength adequately.
• Anyone else recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, involved in a car accident, or need post-surgical therapy, you don’t have to be an athlete to experience positives from gait analysis in facilitating your recovery from injury.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re an experienced veteran, gait analysis can help you in discovering the suitable footwear, which, coupled with other insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, save energy, and reduce the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can significantly disrupt your mobility health, in addition to resulting in phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices tailored to your body and lifestyle. It can also help you in adjusting to your new device and optimizing its function and comfort.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can significantly affect our day-to-day functioning and movement health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to track disease progression, evaluate treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently lose strength as we age. This may lead to an heightened risk of falling for older adults, as well as degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can be beneficial in discovering ways to relieve pressure on painful joints, mitigate injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor aspects of movement health.

No matter why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s working to eventually run that marathon or simply engage in your day-to-day life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Labarque Creek, MO will employ gait analysis to personalize your treatment, optimize your care, and help you in getting back to the activities you love.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are generally two primary types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this technique entails a physical therapist directly observing your gait as you walk and via video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to obtain a broad assessment of your movement health and effortlessly detect any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis depends on the professional judgment of the therapist to make assessments.
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, quantifiable data regarding your gait. By utilizing precise numerical values, it enables more in-depth analysis and monitoring of your improvement over a period of time.

Both qualitative and quantitative gait analysis are appropriate in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Labarque Creek, MO possesses the capacity and knowledge to tailor our gait analysis services to address your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Labarque Creek, MO

At Axes, our primary goal is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in getting back to what they love most. To accomplish this, we employ every possible tool that can help our patients in Labarque Creek, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Labarque Creek, MO, our experienced physical therapists utilize advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are placed on your body that track your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that algorithmic information into useful information that your physical therapist can examine
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more detailed analysis and examination of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their clinical observations to prescribe efficient, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously monitored over time and evaluated against the average population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Labarque Creek, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is committed to providing our Labarque Creek, MO patients with effective, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that fit their daily lives and objectives. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your customized treatment plan:

• To get started, speak with your doctor to determine if gait analysis might be advantageous for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a complimentary injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a comprehensive history taking and assessment to understand your goals, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll create a team with you and your doctor, incorporating the results of gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, improving your mobility health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been validated through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their success.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in picking suitable footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on sustaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, incorporating insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll leverage gait analysis, alongside other measurable data and indicators, to continuously evaluate your growth and adjust your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes delivers far more than just a list of exercises to check off. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and innovative technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Labarque Creek, MO who are determined to provide optimal results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Labarque Creek, 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 Labarque Creek, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly contribute to your overall well-being and movement health, regardless of whether that means soaring down the court or going up stairs without pain. As we are dedicated to providing customized, evidence-based treatment plans, we’re one of the limited number of clinics in the Labarque Creek, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to improve your movement health, contact the nearest Axes location or contact us online to determine if gait analysis in Labarque Creek, MO is appropriate for you.