Gait analysis in Murphy, MO. Gait analysis, also referred to as motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare providers to evaluate your mobility to offer personalized therapy and get you back to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete recovering from an injury or you’re trying to cope with chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed treatment plan that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Detect and address gait disorders
• Uncover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that causes pain or affects 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 Murphy, MO, our staff of physical therapists are devoted to one thing: getting you back to what you love most. If you’re wondering if gait analysis would be beneficial for you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for you or make an appointment through our website to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When carried out by licensed physical therapists, gait analysis is an assessment of how you move, specifically how you walk and run. By gaining precise information about 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 result 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 Murphy, 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 Murphy, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Murphy, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a healing method by itself, it provides crucial information to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more specific and customized care. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Murphy, MO:

• Athletes seeking a competitive advantage — Correct form becomes essential at the peak of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address strength imbalances and range of motion limitations, 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 confirm that your body is recuperating and gaining strength properly.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, involved in a car accident, or need post-surgical therapy, you don’t have to be an athlete to gain benefits from gait analysis in facilitating your recuperation from trauma.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re an experienced runner, gait analysis can help you in finding the suitable footwear, which, coupled with other insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, preserve energy, and lower the chance 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 customized to your body and lifestyle. It can additionally support you in adjusting to your new device and optimizing its performance and comfort.
• People suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can greatly affect our daily functioning and mobility health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and guide rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently weaken as we age. This can cause an elevated risk of falling for older adults, as well as degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can be beneficial in discovering ways to relieve pressure on aching joints, minimize injury risks, and evaluate the cognitive and motor aspects of movement health.

No matter why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s working to ultimately run that marathon or just enjoy your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Murphy, MO will apply gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and help you in getting back to the pursuits you enjoy.

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 personally observing your gait in real time and via video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to acquire a general assessment of your mobility health and easily spot any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis depends on the clinical expertise of the therapist to make assessments.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this technique employs specific technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to offer objective, quantifiable data regarding your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it enables more detailed analysis and tracking of your progress over time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are suitable in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Murphy, MO has the ability and expertise to personalize our gait analysis services to meet your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Murphy, MO

At Axes, our primary aim is delivering positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in returning to what they love most. To accomplish this, we utilize every available tool to support our patients in Murphy, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Murphy, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists utilize innovative DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that monitor your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that algorithmic information into valuable information that your physical therapist can review
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to enable a more detailed analysis and breakdown of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist combines these insights with their clinical observations to recommend effective, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously monitored over time and evaluated against the typical population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Murphy, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to delivering our Murphy, MO patients with effective, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that suit their daily lives and objectives. Gait analysis can be included in your personalized treatment plan:

• To get started, ask your doctor if gait analysis might be advantageous for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll perform a thorough history taking and physical examination to gain insight into your goals, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll create a partnership with you and your doctor, incorporating the insights from gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, enhancing your movement health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been proven through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll support you in choosing appropriate footwear, braces, or other devices, while educating you on sustaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, incorporating insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll utilize gait analysis, together with other measurable data and indicators, to consistently assess your growth and adjust your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes provides much more than simply a list of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and state-of-the-art technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a dedicated team of physical therapists in Murphy, MO who are driven to provide excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Murphy, MO include:

• Back Pain Treatment
• 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

Call Axes’ for Your Gait Analysis in Murphy, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly contribute to your overall well-being and performance, regardless of whether that involves gliding down the field or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are dedicated to providing customized, evidence-based treatment plans, we’re the limited number of clinics in the Murphy, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to improve your movement health, get in touch with the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Murphy, MO is suitable for you.