Gait analysis in Ozark View, MO. Gait analysis, also called motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners can assess your movement to offer better treatment and get you back to the activities you love. 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 treatment plan that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

Your Ozark View, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Discover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that results in pain or affects movement health
• Evaluate and monitor 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 Ozark View, MO, our staff of physical therapists are dedicated to one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re wondering if gait analysis would be beneficial for you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for you or schedule an appointment through our website to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When done by licensed 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 status of injury recovery, and more. Because our gaits our the product of a combination of factors – strength, flexibility, coordination, vision, the vestibular system – gait analysis can provide a valuable look at what may be keeping you from living the life you want.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Ozark View, 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 precise insights into your gait, your Ozark View, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Ozark View, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy by itself, it provides important insights to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more focused and customized approach. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Ozark View, MO:

• Athletes looking for a competitive advantage — Correct form becomes increasingly important at the highest level of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address 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 track your progress and ensure that your body is healing and building strength properly.
• 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 gain advantages from gait analysis in facilitating your recovery from injury.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned runner, gait analysis can assist you in identifying the appropriate footwear, which, coupled with further insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, save energy, and reduce the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically interrupt your mobility health, in addition to causing phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices specifically designed to your body and lifestyle. It can additionally support you in adapting to your new device and optimizing its function and convenience.
• People suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can significantly affect our day-to-day functioning and movement health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to track disease progression, evaluate treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently weaken as we age. This can result in an increased risk of falling for older adults, as well as degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in finding ways to alleviate pressure on aching joints, minimize injury risks, and examine the cognitive and motor aspects of mobility health.

No matter the reason you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s striving to ultimately run that marathon or just engage in your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Ozark View, MO will utilize gait analysis to personalize your treatment, optimize your care, and assist you in getting back to the pursuits you love.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are typically two primary types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this method entails a physical therapist directly observing your gait as you walk and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to gain a general assessment of your mobility health and readily identify any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis relies on the clinical expertise of the therapist to make assessments.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this method employs advanced technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to provide objective, measurable data regarding your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it allows greater in-depth analysis and monitoring of your progress over a period of time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are suitable in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Ozark View, MO has the ability and knowledge to tailor our gait analysis services to address your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Ozark View, MO

At Axes, our primary goal is delivering positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in getting back to what they love most. To accomplish this, we employ every available tool that can help our patients in Ozark View, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Ozark View, MO, our expert physical therapists employ advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer both qualitative and quantitative services.

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 complicated data into helpful information that your physical therapist can review
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to enable a more comprehensive analysis and breakdown of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their clinical observations to prescribe effective, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously tracked over time and compared against the average population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Ozark View, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to delivering our Ozark View, MO patients with effective, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that suit their lifestyles and goals. Gait analysis can be included in your customized treatment plan:

• To begin the process, ask your doctor if gait analysis might be advantageous for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a comprehensive history taking and physical examination to understand your goals, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll create a partnership with you and your doctor, integrating the findings of gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, optimizing your movement health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their efficacy.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll support you in picking proper footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while educating you on achieving proper posture and improving movement health, incorporating insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll leverage gait analysis, alongside other measurable data and indicators, to consistently evaluate your progress and adjust your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes provides far more than just a series of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and advanced technologies at our fingertips, Axes provides a committed team of physical therapists in Ozark View, MO who are driven to deliver excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Ozark View, 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 Ozark View, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly enhance your overall health and performance, regardless of whether that involves gliding down the field or going up stairs without pain. As we are dedicated to providing customized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re one of the few clinics in the Ozark View, 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 ascertain if gait analysis in Ozark View, MO is appropriate for you.