Gait analysis in Schluersburg, MO. Gait analysis, alongside video motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to evaluate your movement to offer better care and get you back to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete recovering from an injury or you’re trying to cope with arthritis, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Find out hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that leads to pain or affects movement health
• Evaluate and monitor treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehabilitate injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Select footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Schluersburg, MO, our staff of physical therapists are dedicated to one thing: getting you back to what you love most. If you’re curious if gait analysis is right 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 carried out by credentialed 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 progress of injury recovery, and more. Because our gaits our the product of a multitude 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 Schluersburg, 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 accurate understanding of your gait, your Schluersburg, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Schluersburg, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy 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 positively impact a wide range of people in Schluersburg, MO:

• Athletes desiring a competitive advantage — Proper form becomes vital at the pinnacle of competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify muscle imbalances and limited range of motion, and prevent injury.
• Athletes healing from injury — If you’re recovering from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to monitor your progress and verify that your body is healing and gaining strength correctly.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, in a slip and fall, or underwent recent surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to derive positives from gait analysis in assisting your recuperation from trauma.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned runner, gait analysis can assist you in discovering the right footwear, which, coupled with additional insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, preserve energy, and reduce the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can significantly disrupt your mobility health, along with causing phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices tailored to your body and lifestyle. It can also support you in adapting to your new device and optimizing its performance and convenience.
• Those with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can significantly affect our everyday functioning and mobility health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies naturally weaken as we age. This may lead to an heightened risk of falling for older adults, in addition to degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can be beneficial in identifying ways to relieve pressure on aching joints, minimize injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor facets of movement health.

Regardless of the reason you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s striving to eventually run that marathon or simply enjoy your day-to-day life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Schluersburg, MO will employ gait analysis to customize your treatment, maximize your care, and help you in returning to the pursuits you love.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are typically two major types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this method entails a physical therapist directly watching your gait in real time and via video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to obtain a broad assessment of your mobility health and effortlessly identify any noticeable 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 approach employs advanced technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to provide objective, quantifiable data about your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it enables greater thorough analysis and monitoring of your improvement over time.

Both clinical and quantitative gait analysis are suitable in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Schluersburg, MO has the capabilities and expertise to personalize our gait analysis services to fulfill your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Schluersburg, MO

At Axes, our main focus is delivering positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we make use of every available tool to support our patients in Schluersburg, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Schluersburg, MO, our expert physical therapists utilize advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer combined qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are placed on your body that track your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that algorithmic information into useful information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to aid a more detailed analysis and breakdown of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist combines these insights with their clinical observations to prescribe efficient, 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 Schluersburg, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is committed to delivering our Schluersburg, MO patients with effective, safe, and evidence-backed treatment plans that align with their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your individualized treatment plan:

• To get started, ask your doctor if gait analysis may be advantageous for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a detailed patient interview and assessment to gain insight into your goals, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll form a team with you and your doctor, integrating the findings of gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, enhancing your movement health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll create personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been proven through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in choosing appropriate footwear, braces, or other devices, while educating you on maintaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, incorporating insights acquired from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, together with other quantitative information and indicators, to constantly assess your progress and adapt your treatment plan as needed.

Axes offers much more than just a series of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and advanced technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a dedicated team of physical therapists in Schluersburg, MO who are driven to provide the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Schluersburg, 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 Schluersburg, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can positively contribute to your overall health and movement health, regardless of whether that involves moving down the field or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are dedicated to providing individualized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re one of the few clinics in the Schluersburg, MO area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to optimize your movement health, call the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Schluersburg, MO is right for you.