Gait analysis in Parkway, MO. Gait analysis, in combination with video motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners can evaluate your movement to offer better therapy and get you back to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete healing from an injury or you’re trying to manage chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed plan of care that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Discover underlying musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that leads to pain or affects movement health
• Assess and track treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehab injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Select footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Parkway, MO, our team of physical therapists are committed to one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re wondering if gait analysis is right for you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for you or request an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When performed by licensed physical therapists, gait analysis is an evaluation of how you move, specifically how you walk and run. By understanding how you walk and run, 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 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 Parkway, 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 Parkway, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Parkway, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a healing method in and of itself, it offers important insights to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more focused and customized care. As such, gait analysis can be advantageous for a wide range of people in Parkway, MO:

• Athletes desiring a competitive edge — Correct form becomes essential at the zenith of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify 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 track your progress and confirm that your body is recovering and building strength adequately.
• Anyone else recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, in a slip and fall, or had to get surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to derive advantages from gait analysis in aiding 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 assist you in discovering the right footwear, which, together with further insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, save energy, and minimize the chance 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.
• People with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can significantly affect our day-to-day lives and movement health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to track disease progression, judge 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 such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can be beneficial in finding ways to alleviate pressure on painful joints, reduce injury risks, and evaluate the cognitive and motor elements of movement health.

Regardless of the reason you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s working to finally run that marathon or just enjoy your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Parkway, MO will employ gait analysis to customize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in returning to the pursuits 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 method entails a physical therapist directly watching your gait as you walk and through video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to gain a broad overview of your mobility health and easily identify any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis utilizes the clinical expertise of the therapist to reach conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this method employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to provide objective, quantifiable data regarding your gait. By using precise numerical values, it allows more in-depth analysis and monitoring of your progress over a period of time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Parkway, MO has the capabilities and knowledge to tailor our gait analysis services to fulfill your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Parkway, MO

At Axes, our primary aim is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in getting back to what they love most. To accomplish this, we utilize every possible tool that can help our patients in Parkway, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Parkway, MO, our expert physical therapists employ cutting-edge DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer combined qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are attached to your body that record your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that algorithmic information into helpful information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to aid a more comprehensive analysis and breakdown of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their professional observations to recommend successful, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously monitored over time and compared against the normal population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Parkway, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is committed to providing our Parkway, MO patients with effective, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that suit their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your personalized treatment plan:

• To start the process, ask your doctor if gait analysis might be advantageous for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a complimentary injury screening.
• We’ll perform a thorough history taking and physical examination to gain insight into your objectives, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll build a team with you and your doctor, incorporating the results 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 proven through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in selecting suitable footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while educating you on maintaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, incorporating insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll employ gait analysis, together with other measurable data and markers, to constantly assess your progress and modify your treatment plan as needed.

Axes offers much more than just a series of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and advanced technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a specialized team of physical therapists in Parkway, MO who are motivated to provide the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Parkway, 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 Parkway, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly contribute to your overall health and performance, whether that means moving down the court or going up stairs without discomfort. As we are dedicated to offering individualized, evidence-based treatment plans, we’re the few clinics in the Parkway, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to optimize your movement health, get in touch with the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Parkway, MO is suitable for you.