Gait analysis in Shiloh, IL. Gait analysis, in combination with video motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to examine your movement to offer better therapy and get you back to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete recovering from an injury or you’re trying to manage chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed treatment plan that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

Your Shiloh, IL physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Uncover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that causes pain or impacts movement health
• Assess and track 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 Shiloh, IL, our team of physical therapists are devoted to one thing: getting you back to what you enjoy most. If you’re wondering if gait analysis is right for you, call the Axes’ location closest to you or request an appointment through our website to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When carried out by professional physical therapists, gait analysis is an evaluation of how you move, specifically how you walk and run. By gaining precise information about 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 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 Shiloh, IL 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 Shiloh, IL 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 Shiloh, IL

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy by itself, it offers essential information to your physical therapist about your motion, allowing them to offer more specific and customized approach. As such, gait analysis can be advantageous for a wide range of people in Shiloh, IL:

• Athletes looking for a competitive edge — Correct form becomes crucial 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 track your progress and ensure that your body is recuperating and building strength correctly.
• Anyone else recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, involved in a car accident, or underwent recent surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to experience positives from gait analysis in assisting your healing from injury.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned veteran, gait analysis can help you in finding the appropriate footwear, which, along with additional insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, conserve energy, and minimize the chance of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically interrupt your movement health, as well as causing phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices customized to your body and lifestyle. It can additionally assist you in adjusting to your new device and maximizing its function and comfort.
• Those suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can significantly impact our everyday lives and mobility health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies naturally lose strength as we age. This can result in an elevated risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can be beneficial in identifying ways to lessen pressure on aching joints, minimize injury risks, and evaluate the cognitive and motor facets of mobility health.

No matter why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s working to eventually run that marathon or simply enjoy your day-to-day life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Shiloh, IL will apply gait analysis to customize your treatment, maximize your care, and help you in getting back to the activities 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 technique entails a physical therapist personally observing your gait as you walk and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to acquire a broad overview of your movement health and readily spot any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis depends on the clinical expertise of the therapist to draw conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this approach employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, quantifiable data about your gait. By using precise numerical values, it enables more thorough analysis and tracking of your progress over a period of time.

Both qualitative and instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Shiloh, IL has the ability and expertise to tailor our gait analysis services to address your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Shiloh, IL

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 to support our patients in Shiloh, IL. When conducting gait analysis in Shiloh, IL, our highly skilled physical therapists employ innovative DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer both qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are placed on your body that track your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that complicated data into valuable information that your physical therapist can examine
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to aid a more thorough analysis and examination of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their professional observations to recommend successful, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously tracked over time and evaluated against the normal population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Shiloh, IL

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to providing our Shiloh, IL patients with successful, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that suit their daily lives and objectives. Gait analysis can be included in your individualized treatment plan:

• To get started, ask your doctor if gait analysis might be beneficial for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll perform a comprehensive patient interview and physical examination to understand your objectives, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll build a team with you and your doctor, incorporating the findings of gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, optimizing your mobility health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll design 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 help you in selecting suitable footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while educating you on maintaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, drawing on insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, together with other measurable information and indicators, to continuously assess your growth and modify your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes offers far more than just a list of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and advanced technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a dedicated team of physical therapists in Shiloh, IL who are driven to provide optimal results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Shiloh, IL 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 Shiloh, IL Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly contribute to your overall health and movement health, regardless of whether that means soaring down the court or going up stairs without pain. As we are dedicated to offering personalized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re one of the few clinics in the Shiloh, IL area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to optimize your movement health, contact the nearest Axes location or contact us online to determine if gait analysis in Shiloh, IL is right for you.