Gait analysis in St. Genevieve, MO. Gait analysis, also known as motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare providers can evaluate your mobility to offer personalized therapy and get you back to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete dealing with an injury or you’re trying to manage arthritis, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

Your St. Genevieve, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Find out hidden musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that results in pain or influences movement health
• Evaluate and monitor 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 St. Genevieve, MO, our staff of physical therapists are dedicated to one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re curious if gait analysis would be beneficial for you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for you or request 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 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 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 St. Genevieve, 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 St. Genevieve, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you achieve the most benefit for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in St. Genevieve, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a treatment in and of itself, it offers crucial data to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more targeted and personalized care. As such, gait analysis can be advantageous for a wide range of people in St. Genevieve, MO:

• Athletes seeking a competitive advantage — Correct form becomes essential at the zenith of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address strength imbalances and limited range of motion, and prevent injury.
• Athletes healing from injury — If you’re coming back from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to monitor your progress and ensure that your body is recuperating and developing strength properly.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, involved in a car accident, or had to get surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to gain benefits from gait analysis in aiding your healing from trauma.
• 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, together with further insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, preserve energy, and lower the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can greatly disrupt your mobility health, as well as resulting in phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices tailored to your body and lifestyle. It can furthermore support you in adapting to your new device and optimizing its function and comfort.
• People suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can significantly impact our everyday lives and mobility health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to track disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and guide rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably 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 discovering ways to relieve pressure on painful joints, reduce injury risks, and examine the cognitive and motor facets of mobility health.

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

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are commonly two primary types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this approach entails a physical therapist personally watching your gait as you walk and through video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to acquire a broad overview of your mobility health and easily identify any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis depends on the professional judgment 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 offer objective, quantifiable data concerning your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it allows greater thorough analysis and monitoring of your progress over a period of time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are suitable in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in St. Genevieve, MO possesses the capacity and knowledge to tailor our gait analysis services to fulfill your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in St. Genevieve, MO

At Axes, our primary goal is delivering positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in returning to what they love most. To accomplish this, we make use of every possible tool that can help our patients in St. Genevieve, MO. When conducting gait analysis in St. Genevieve, MO, our expert physical therapists utilize advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer combined qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that monitor your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that complex data into useful information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to enable a more comprehensive analysis and examination of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their professional observations to prescribe efficient, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly tracked over time and evaluated against the normal population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in St. Genevieve, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to delivering our St. Genevieve, MO patients with effective, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that suit their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be included in your customized treatment plan:

• To start the process, consult your doctor to determine if gait analysis may be advantageous for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a complimentary injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a thorough history taking and physical examination to gain insight into your goals, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll form a partnership with you and your doctor, including the results of gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, optimizing your mobility health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been proven through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their success.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in picking suitable footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on sustaining proper posture and improving movement health, drawing on insights acquired from gait analysis.
• We’ll utilize gait analysis, alongside other measurable data and indicators, to constantly evaluate your progress and adapt your treatment plan as needed.

Axes offers far more than simply a list of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and innovative technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in St. Genevieve, MO who are determined to provide the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in St. Genevieve, 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 St. Genevieve, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly improve your overall well-being 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 are the limited number of clinics in the St. Genevieve, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to enhance your movement health, reach out to the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in St. Genevieve, MO is appropriate for you.