Gait analysis in Moscow Mills, MO. Gait analysis, also referred to as motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners to examine your movement to offer better therapy and return you to the things you like doing most. Whether you’re an athlete dealing with an injury or you’re trying to cope with chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

Your Moscow Mills, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Uncover underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that leads to pain or affects movement health
• Assess and track 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 Moscow Mills, MO, our team of physical therapists are committed to one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re wondering if gait analysis can help you, call the Axes’ location nearest you or request an appointment through our website to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When performed by qualified physical therapists, gait analysis is an assessment 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 status of injury recovery, and more. Because our gaits our the result of a variety 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 Moscow Mills, 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 Moscow Mills, 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 Moscow Mills, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy by itself, it provides important data to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more specific and personalized approach. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Moscow Mills, MO:

• Athletes searching for a competitive advantage — Proper form becomes crucial at the highest level of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify strength imbalances and restricted mobility, 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 track how your recovery’s going and confirm that your body is recovering and developing strength appropriately.
• 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 assisting 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 aid you in identifying the appropriate footwear, which, along with additional insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, conserve energy, and minimize the chance of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can greatly disrupt your movement health, in addition to resulting in phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices specifically designed to your body and lifestyle. It can furthermore support you in acclimating to your new device and maximizing its function and convenience.
• Those suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can greatly impact our everyday functioning and mobility health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and guide rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently lose strength as we age. This can result in an elevated risk of falling for older adults, as well as degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in identifying ways to lessen pressure on painful joints, mitigate injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor elements of mobility health.

No matter why you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to eventually run that marathon or just engage in your day-to-day life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Moscow Mills, MO will utilize gait analysis to customize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in returning to the experiences you enjoy.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are generally two major 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 allows the physical therapist to obtain a overall assessment of your mobility health and readily spot any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis depends on the professional judgment of the therapist to draw conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this approach employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, measurable data concerning your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it enables more thorough analysis and tracking of your improvement over a period of time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Moscow Mills, MO possesses the capacity and knowledge to customize our gait analysis services to address your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Moscow Mills, MO

At Axes, our primary aim is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in returning to what they love most. To accomplish this, we employ every available tool that can help our patients in Moscow Mills, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Moscow Mills, MO, our expert physical therapists employ innovative DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are placed on your body that monitor your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that complex data into helpful information that your physical therapist can examine
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to enable a more detailed analysis and examination of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist combines these insights with their clinical observations to recommend efficient, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously monitored over time and evaluated against the normal population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Moscow Mills, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to delivering our Moscow Mills, MO patients with successful, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that align with their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your customized treatment plan:

• To begin the process, ask your doctor if gait analysis might be beneficial for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a detailed patient interview and assessment to understand your objectives, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll create a team with you and your doctor, including the findings of gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, improving your mobility health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been proven 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 other devices, while informing you on sustaining proper posture and improving movement health, drawing on insights acquired from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, alongside other quantitative information and indicators, to continuously review your growth and adjust your treatment plan as needed.

Axes delivers much more than just a series of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and state-of-the-art technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Moscow Mills, MO who are determined to provide the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Moscow Mills, 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 Moscow Mills, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly improve your overall well-being and performance, whether that involves gliding down the court or going up stairs without discomfort. As we are committed to offering individualized, evidence-based treatment plans, we’re the few clinics in the Moscow Mills, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to optimize your movement health, call the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Moscow Mills, MO is right for you.