Gait analysis in Shrewsbury, MO. Gait analysis, also referred to as motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners to evaluate your mobility to offer better therapy and return you to the things you love most. Whether you’re an athlete dealing with an injury or you’re trying to cope with chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed treatment plan that’s tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Uncover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that results in pain or affects movement health
• Measure and follow 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 Shrewsbury, MO, our team of physical therapists are committed to one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re curious if gait analysis would be beneficial for you, call the Axes’ location closest to you or request an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When carried out 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 status of injury rehabilitation, 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 what may be affecting your movement health.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Shrewsbury, 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 precise insights into your gait, your Shrewsbury, MO physical therapist can customize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Shrewsbury, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy in and of itself, it offers essential information to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more focused and personalized approach. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Shrewsbury, MO:

• Athletes searching for a performance boost — Correct form becomes increasingly important at the peak of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify strength 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 track how your recovery’s going and confirm that your body is recuperating and gaining strength adequately.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, involved in a car accident, or need post-surgical therapy, you don’t have to be an athlete to derive advantages from gait analysis in aiding 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 discovering the suitable footwear, which, along with additional insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, save energy, and lower the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can significantly impede your movement 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 support you in adapting to your new device and maximizing its performance and convenience.
• Those suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can greatly affect our everyday functioning and mobility health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies naturally lose strength as we age. This can cause an elevated risk of falling for older adults, as well as 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 mobility health.

No matter why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to finally run that marathon or just enjoy your day-to-day life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Shrewsbury, MO will employ gait analysis to customize your treatment, optimize your care, and assist you in returning to the experiences 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 directly watching your gait in real time and via video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to acquire a overall assessment of your movement health and easily spot any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis utilizes the clinical expertise of the therapist to draw conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this method employs advanced technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, measurable data about your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it allows greater thorough analysis and tracking of your progress over time.

Both qualitative and instrument-assisted gait analysis are suitable in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Shrewsbury, MO possesses the capabilities and expertise to customize our gait analysis services to fulfill your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Shrewsbury, 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 make use of every available tool that can help our patients in Shrewsbury, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Shrewsbury, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists employ state-of-the-art DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are placed on your body that record your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that complex data into helpful information that your physical therapist can review
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to aid a more comprehensive analysis and examination of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist combines these insights with their professional observations to recommend effective, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly monitored over time and compared against the normal population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Shrewsbury, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to offering our Shrewsbury, MO patients with effective, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that align with their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be included in your personalized treatment plan:

• To get started, ask your doctor if gait analysis may be beneficial for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll perform a detailed patient interview and physical examination to understand your goals, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll form a team with you and your doctor, incorporating the findings of gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, enhancing your mobility health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their success.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in selecting appropriate footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while educating you on maintaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, drawing on insights acquired from gait analysis.
• We’ll employ gait analysis, together with other measurable data and indicators, to continuously review your progress and adapt your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes offers much more than simply a list of exercises to check off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and cutting-edge technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a dedicated team of physical therapists in Shrewsbury, MO who are driven to provide optimal results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Shrewsbury, MO include:

• Shoulder Pain Treatment
• Back Pain Treatment
• 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

Call Axes’ for Your Gait Analysis in Shrewsbury, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly improve your overall well-being and performance, whether that means soaring down the field or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are dedicated to providing individualized, evidence-based treatment plans, we’re one of the few clinics in the Shrewsbury, MO area that offer video motion analysis. If you want to enhance your movement health, call the nearest Axes location or contact us online to determine if gait analysis in Shrewsbury, MO is suitable for you.