Gait analysis in Robertsville, MO. Gait analysis, alongside video motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare professionals can evaluate your movement to offer better treatment and return you to the things you like doing most. Whether you’re an athlete healing from an injury or you’re trying to handle arthritis, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Uncover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that leads to pain or influences movement health
• Measure and follow treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehab injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Find footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Robertsville, 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 nearest you or schedule an appointment through our website to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When done 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 your overall movement health.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Robertsville, 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 Robertsville, 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 Robertsville, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a treatment in and of itself, it offers valuable information to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more specific and personalized care. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Robertsville, MO:

• Athletes looking for a competitive advantage — Correct form becomes increasingly important at the zenith of competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify muscle imbalances and range of motion limitations, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recuperating from injury — If you’re coming back from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to track your progress and verify that your body is healing and gaining strength properly.
• Anyone else recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, 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 assisting your recuperation from injury.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned runner, gait analysis can aid you in finding the suitable footwear, which, coupled with additional insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, preserve energy, and minimize the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can greatly interrupt your mobility health, along with 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 furthermore help you in acclimating to your new device and maximizing its performance and comfort.
• Those suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can profoundly impact our everyday lives and movement health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably weaken as we age. This may lead to an elevated risk of falling for older adults, in addition to degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in identifying ways to relieve pressure on sore joints, minimize injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor elements of mobility health.

No matter why you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to finally run that marathon or simply enjoy your day-to-day life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Robertsville, MO will employ gait analysis to personalize your treatment, optimize your care, and assist you in returning to the activities you cherish.

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 approach entails a physical therapist personally observing your gait in real time and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to acquire a broad overview of your movement health and effortlessly spot any apparent patterns. Qualitative gait analysis utilizes the professional judgment of the therapist to reach conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this method employs specific technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to provide objective, measurable data regarding your gait. By employing 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 appropriate in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Robertsville, MO has the capacity and knowledge to tailor our gait analysis services to address your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Robertsville, MO

At Axes, our primary objective is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in returning to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we make use of every possible tool that can help our patients in Robertsville, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Robertsville, MO, our expert physical therapists utilize innovative 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 hard data into valuable information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to aid a more comprehensive analysis and examination of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their clinical observations to recommend effective, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously tracked over time and evaluated against the average population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Robertsville, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to delivering our Robertsville, MO patients with successful, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that fit their lifestyles and objectives. Gait analysis can be included in your individualized treatment plan:

• To start 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 carry out a detailed history taking and physical examination to understand your objectives, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll create a partnership with you and your doctor, integrating the insights from gait analysis into your comprehensive treatment approach, optimizing your mobility health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their efficacy.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll support you in choosing suitable footwear, braces, or other devices, while educating you on sustaining proper posture and improving movement health, utilizing insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, together with other measurable information and indicators, to continuously review your growth and modify your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes offers far more than just a series of exercises to check off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and innovative technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a specialized team of physical therapists in Robertsville, MO who are driven to provide optimal results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Robertsville, 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 Robertsville, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly contribute to your overall health and movement health, whether that involves moving down the field or climbing stairs without discomfort. As we are dedicated to providing customized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re one of the limited number of clinics in the Robertsville, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to improve your movement health, call the nearest Axes location or contact us online to find out if gait analysis in Robertsville, MO is appropriate for you.