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

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

• Detect and address gait disorders
• Find out underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that leads to pain or influences movement health
• Measure and follow 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 Leadwood, 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 understanding how you move, 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 combination 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 Leadwood, 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 Leadwood, MO physical therapist can customize your treatment and help you achieve the most rewards for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Leadwood, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a healing method by itself, it provides important data to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more focused and customized approach. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Leadwood, MO:

• Athletes looking for a performance boost — Correct form becomes increasingly important at the zenith of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify muscle imbalances and range of motion limitations, 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 your progress and verify that your body is healing and gaining strength appropriately.
• 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 benefits from gait analysis in aiding your recuperation from trauma.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned vet, gait analysis can aid you in discovering the appropriate footwear, which, together with other insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, conserve energy, and reduce the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can greatly impede your mobility health, as well as 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 additionally support you in adapting to your new device and optimizing its performance and convenience.
• Those suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can profoundly affect our daily lives and mobility health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and guide rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies naturally weaken as we age. This may lead to an elevated risk of falling for older adults, as well as degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in discovering ways to lessen pressure on aching joints, mitigate injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor elements of mobility health.

No matter why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s striving to eventually run that marathon or simply enjoy your day-to-day life without pain, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Leadwood, MO will utilize gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in getting back to the activities you love.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are typically two primary types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this technique entails a physical therapist directly watching your gait in real time and via video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to gain a general assessment of your movement health and easily identify any apparent patterns. Qualitative gait analysis depends on the clinical expertise of the therapist to reach conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this method employs advanced technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to offer objective, measurable data concerning your gait. By using precise numerical values, it allows greater detailed analysis and monitoring 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 Leadwood, MO possesses the capabilities and knowledge to personalize our gait analysis services to meet your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Leadwood, MO

At Axes, our main goal is delivering positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we employ every available tool that can help our patients in Leadwood, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Leadwood, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists employ advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer combined qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that record your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software interprets that algorithmic information into useful information that your physical therapist can review
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to aid a more comprehensive analysis and breakdown of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their professional observations to recommend efficient, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly monitored over time and evaluated against the typical population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Leadwood, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to providing our Leadwood, MO patients with successful, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that suit their daily lives and objectives. Gait analysis can be part of your individualized treatment plan:

• To start the process, ask your doctor if gait analysis could be beneficial for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a complimentary injury screening.
• We’ll perform a detailed history taking and physical examination to gain insight into your goals, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll build a partnership with you and your doctor, incorporating the findings of gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, improving your movement health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been validated through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their efficacy.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in selecting proper footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while informing you on achieving proper posture and optimizing movement health, drawing on insights acquired from gait analysis.
• We’ll utilize gait analysis, alongside other quantitative data and indicators, to continuously evaluate your growth and modify your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes provides far more than simply a series of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and state-of-the-art technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a specialized team of physical therapists in Leadwood, MO who are determined to deliver excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Leadwood, 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 Leadwood, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly enhance your overall well-being and performance, whether that involves moving down the field or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are dedicated to offering individualized, evidence-based treatment plans, we’re the limited number of clinics in the Leadwood, MO area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to enhance your movement health, contact the nearest Axes location or contact us online to find out if gait analysis in Leadwood, MO is right for you.