Gait analysis in Lemay, MO. Gait analysis, also called motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare providers can assess your movement to offer better therapy and return you 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 tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Detect and address gait disorders
• Find out underlying musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that leads to pain or impacts movement health
• Measure and follow treatment outcomes
• Prevent and recover from injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Find footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Lemay, MO, our staff of physical therapists are committed to one thing: getting you back to what you enjoy most. If you’re curious if gait analysis would be beneficial for you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for you or request an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When performed by qualified physical therapists, gait analysis is an evaluation 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 rehabilitation, and more. Because our gaits our the product of a multitude 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 Lemay, 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 precise understanding of your gait, your Lemay, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you achieve the most benefit for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Lemay, MO

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

• Athletes searching for a competitive advantage — Correct form becomes crucial at the zenith of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify muscle imbalances and limited range of motion, 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 how your recovery’s going and ensure that your body is recovering and building strength properly.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, involved in a car accident, or had to get surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to experience 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 veteran, gait analysis can help you in finding the appropriate footwear, which, along with other insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, preserve energy, and minimize the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can greatly impede your movement health, as well as resulting in phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices customized to your body and lifestyle. It can furthermore help you in adapting 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 influence our daily functioning and movement health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently lose strength as we age. This can cause an heightened risk of falling for older adults, in addition to degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can offer support in identifying ways to alleviate pressure on sore joints, reduce injury risks, and examine the cognitive and motor facets of movement health.

Regardless of the reason you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to ultimately run that marathon or just enjoy your daily life without pain, Axes’ licensed therapists in Lemay, MO will employ gait analysis to customize your treatment, optimize your care, and help you in getting back to the experiences you cherish.

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 approach entails a physical therapist directly watching your gait as you walk and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to gain a broad assessment of your movement health and easily spot any apparent patterns. Qualitative gait analysis relies on 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 provide objective, measurable data concerning your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it enables greater in-depth analysis and monitoring of your improvement over time.

Both qualitative and instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Lemay, MO possesses the capacity and expertise to tailor our gait analysis services to meet your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Lemay, MO

At Axes, our main objective is achieving positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we make use of every possible tool to support our patients in Lemay, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Lemay, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists utilize cutting-edge DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that track your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that algorithmic information into helpful information that your physical therapist can examine
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to aid a more thorough analysis and breakdown of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist combines these insights with their professional observations to prescribe successful, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously monitored over time and evaluated against the typical population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Lemay, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to offering our Lemay, MO patients with effective, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that align with their lifestyles and goals. Gait analysis can be part of your customized treatment plan:

• To begin the process, ask your doctor if gait analysis may be advantageous for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a comprehensive history taking and physical examination to gain insight into your objectives, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll create a partnership with you and your doctor, integrating the insights from gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, enhancing your movement health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been validated through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their success.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in selecting appropriate footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while informing you on achieving proper posture and improving movement health, utilizing insights acquired from gait analysis.
• We’ll employ gait analysis, together with other measurable data and markers, to constantly assess your growth and adapt your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes delivers a lot more than just a list of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and advanced technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a specialized team of physical therapists in Lemay, MO who are driven to provide the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Lemay, 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 Lemay, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly improve your overall health and movement health, regardless of whether that means flying down the field or climbing stairs without pain. As we are committed to providing customized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re one of the few clinics in the Lemay, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to enhance your movement health, get in touch with the nearest Axes location or contact us online to determine if gait analysis in Lemay, MO is right for you.