Gait analysis in Otto, MO. Gait analysis, alongside video motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to examine your mobility to offer better treatment and get you back to the things you like doing most. Whether you’re an athlete healing from an injury or you’re trying to manage arthritis, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Uncover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that results in pain or impacts movement health
• Measure and follow treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehabilitate injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Find footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Otto, MO, our staff of physical therapists are dedicated to one thing: getting you back to what you enjoy most. If you’re curious if gait analysis can help you, call the Axes’ location nearest you or make 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 status of injury rehabilitation, and more. Because our gaits our the product 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 Otto, 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 Otto, 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 Otto, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a healing method by itself, it provides valuable information to your physical therapist about your motion, allowing them to offer more focused and personalized treatment. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Otto, MO:

• Athletes looking for a performance boost — Correct form becomes increasingly important at the pinnacle of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address muscle imbalances and range of motion limitations, and prevent injury.
• Athletes healing from injury — If you’re coming back from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to monitor how your recovery’s going and confirm that your body is healing and building strength adequately.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, involved in a car accident, or had to get surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to experience advantages from gait analysis in assisting your healing 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 discovering the right footwear, which, together with additional insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, save energy, and lower the chance 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 additionally support you in acclimating to your new device and maximizing its performance and convenience.
• Those suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can profoundly influence our day-to-day lives and mobility health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and guide rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies naturally lose strength as we age. This can result in an heightened risk of falling for older adults, in addition to degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can offer support in finding ways to alleviate pressure on sore joints, reduce injury risks, and evaluate the cognitive and motor elements of mobility health.

Regardless of why you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s striving to ultimately run that marathon or just engage in your daily life without pain, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Otto, MO will apply gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and help you in getting back to the pursuits you love.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are typically two main types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this method entails a physical therapist personally observing your gait in real time and via video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to obtain a general assessment of your movement health and readily spot any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis relies on the clinical expertise of the therapist to draw conclusions.
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, measurable data concerning your gait. By using precise numerical values, it allows more thorough analysis and monitoring of your progress over a period of time.

Both clinical and quantitative gait analysis are suitable in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Otto, MO has the ability and expertise to customize our gait analysis services to fulfill your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Otto, MO

At Axes, our primary goal is delivering positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in returning to what they love most. To accomplish this, we employ every available tool that can help our patients in Otto, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Otto, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists employ cutting-edge DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are attached to your body that monitor your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software interprets that algorithmic information into helpful information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to enable a more comprehensive analysis and breakdown of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their clinical observations to recommend successful, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly monitored over time and evaluated against the average population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Otto, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to delivering our Otto, MO patients with successful, safe, and evidence-backed treatment plans that suit their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be part of your personalized treatment plan:

• To start the process, ask your doctor if gait analysis may be advantageous for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a complimentary injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a detailed history taking and assessment to gain insight into your goals, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll create a partnership with you and your doctor, integrating the results of gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, enhancing your movement health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been validated through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in selecting appropriate footwear, braces, or other devices, while educating you on achieving proper posture and improving movement health, utilizing insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, together with other quantitative data and markers, to constantly assess your growth and adapt your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes delivers much more than simply a series of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and advanced technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Otto, MO who are driven to provide optimal results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Otto, 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 Otto, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly improve your overall health and performance, regardless of whether that involves moving down the field or climbing stairs without discomfort. As we are committed to offering personalized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re one of the few clinics in the Otto, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to optimize your movement health, reach out to the nearest Axes location or contact us online to find out if gait analysis in Otto, MO is appropriate for you.