Gait analysis in Mapaville, MO. Gait analysis, also referred to as motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners to evaluate your mobility to offer personalized treatment and get you back to the things you enjoy most. Whether you’re an athlete dealing with an injury or you’re trying to manage arthritis, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Uncover underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that leads to pain or impacts movement health
• Evaluate and monitor 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 Mapaville, MO, our team of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: getting you back to what you love most. If you’re wondering if gait analysis is right for you, call the Axes’ location closest to you or make an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When done by credentialed physical therapists, gait analysis is an evaluation 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 progress 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 Mapaville, 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 Mapaville, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you achieve the most rewards for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Mapaville, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a treatment by itself, it provides crucial insights to your physical therapist about your motion, allowing them to offer more focused and personalized care. As such, gait analysis can be advantageous for a wide range of people in Mapaville, MO:

• Athletes searching for a competitive edge in their sport — Correct form becomes vital at the peak of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify strength imbalances and limited range of motion, and prevent injury.
• Athletes healing from injury — If you’re coming off an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to monitor your progress and verify that your body is healing and gaining strength adequately.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, involved in a car accident, or underwent recent surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to gain advantages from gait analysis in aiding your recuperation from injury.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned runner, gait analysis can aid you in finding the suitable footwear, which, along with other insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, preserve energy, and reduce the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically impede your movement health, along with causing 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 acclimating to your new device and maximizing its function and comfort.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can profoundly influence our daily functioning and mobility health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to track disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies naturally weaken as we age. This can result in an increased risk of falling for older adults, in addition to degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in identifying ways to relieve pressure on aching joints, mitigate injury risks, and examine the cognitive and motor aspects of movement health.

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

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are generally two main types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this technique entails a physical therapist personally watching your gait as you walk and via video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to obtain a general overview of your movement health and effortlessly detect 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 provide objective, measurable data concerning your gait. By utilizing precise numerical values, it enables greater detailed analysis and monitoring of your improvement over a period of time.

Both qualitative and instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Mapaville, MO possesses the capabilities and knowledge to tailor our gait analysis services to address your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Mapaville, MO

At Axes, our primary focus is achieving positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in getting back to what they love most. To accomplish this, we utilize every available tool to support our patients in Mapaville, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Mapaville, MO, our experienced physical therapists employ state-of-the-art 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 movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software interprets that complex data into valuable information that your physical therapist can examine
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to aid a more detailed analysis and breakdown of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist combines these insights with their professional observations to recommend effective, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly monitored over time and compared against the average population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Mapaville, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is committed to providing our Mapaville, MO patients with effective, safe, and evidence-backed treatment plans that align with their daily lives and objectives. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your customized treatment plan:

• To get started, talk to your doctor to determine if gait analysis might be helpful for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll perform a comprehensive history taking and assessment to gain insight into your objectives, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll create a team with you and your doctor, integrating the insights from gait analysis into your comprehensive treatment approach, improving your movement health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in picking suitable footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while informing you on maintaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, incorporating insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll employ gait analysis, alongside other quantitative data and indicators, to constantly assess your progress and adjust your treatment plan as needed.

Axes provides a lot more than just a series of exercises to check off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and state-of-the-art technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a dedicated team of physical therapists in Mapaville, MO who are driven to deliver the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Mapaville, 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 Mapaville, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can positively contribute to your overall health and movement health, regardless of whether that involves flying down the court or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are dedicated to offering customized treatment plans that are proven to work, we are one of the few clinics in the Mapaville, MO area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to improve your movement health, contact the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Mapaville, MO is suitable for you.