Gait analysis in Ranken, MO. Gait analysis, in combination with video motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare professionals can evaluate your mobility to offer better therapy and return you to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete recovering from an injury or you’re trying to manage arthritis, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Uncover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that causes pain or influences movement health
• Assess and track treatment outcomes
• Prevent and recover from injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Select footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Ranken, MO, our team of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re wondering if gait analysis can help you, call the Axes’ location closest to you or make an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When performed by credentialed physical therapists, gait analysis is an assessment 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 progress 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 what may be affecting your movement health.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Ranken, 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 Ranken, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you get the most rewards for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Ranken, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a treatment in and of itself, it provides crucial information to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more targeted and customized treatment. As such, gait analysis can be advantageous for a wide range of people in Ranken, MO:

• Athletes desiring a competitive edge — Correct form becomes increasingly important at the pinnacle of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address muscle imbalances and restricted mobility, 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 how your recovery’s going and verify that your body is recovering and gaining strength properly.
• 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 experience 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 veteran, gait analysis can assist you in identifying the right footwear, which, along with other insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, conserve energy, and reduce the chance of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can greatly interrupt your movement 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 adjusting to your new device and optimizing its performance and comfort.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can profoundly influence our daily lives and movement health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies naturally lose strength as we age. This may lead to 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 lessen pressure on painful joints, reduce injury risks, and assess 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 enjoy your day-to-day life without pain, Axes’ licensed therapists in Ranken, MO will employ gait analysis to personalize your treatment, optimize your care, and help you in returning to the experiences you enjoy.

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 personally watching your gait in real time and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to obtain a broad overview of your mobility health and effortlessly detect any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis relies on the clinical expertise of the therapist to reach conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this approach employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to provide objective, measurable data about your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it enables more thorough analysis and monitoring of your improvement over time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are suitable in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Ranken, MO possesses the capabilities and knowledge to tailor our gait analysis services to fulfill your particular needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Ranken, MO

At Axes, our main objective is achieving positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we utilize every available tool that can help our patients in Ranken, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Ranken, MO, our experienced physical therapists utilize innovative DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide combined qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that monitor your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that hard data into useful information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more detailed analysis and examination of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their clinical observations to prescribe successful, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly monitored over time and compared against the typical population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Ranken, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to delivering our Ranken, MO patients with effective, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that align with their daily lives and objectives. Gait analysis can be included in your personalized treatment plan:

• To start the process, consult your doctor to determine 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 detailed patient interview and assessment to understand your objectives, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll form a team with you and your doctor, including the results of gait analysis into your comprehensive treatment approach, optimizing your movement health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been validated through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in picking proper footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on maintaining proper posture and optimizing movement health, utilizing insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll employ gait analysis, together with other quantitative information and markers, to constantly evaluate your growth and adapt your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes offers a lot more than just a list of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and state-of-the-art technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Ranken, MO who are driven to deliver excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Ranken, 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 Ranken, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly improve your overall health and performance, regardless of whether that means soaring down the field or going up stairs without discomfort. As we are committed to providing personalized, evidence-based treatment plans, we’re one of the few clinics in the Ranken, 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 ascertain if gait analysis in Ranken, MO is suitable for you.