Gait analysis in Sunset Hills, MO. Gait analysis, also called motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners can examine your movement to offer personalized therapy and return you 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 plan of care that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

Your Sunset Hills, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Find out underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that leads to pain or affects 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 Sunset Hills, MO, our team of physical therapists base our practice on 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 most convenient for you or schedule 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 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 what may be keeping you from living the life you want.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Sunset Hills, 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 precise understanding of your gait, your Sunset Hills, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Sunset Hills, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a treatment by itself, it offers valuable data to your physical therapist about your motion, allowing them to offer more targeted and customized approach. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Sunset Hills, MO:

• Athletes looking for a performance boost — Proper form becomes crucial at the zenith of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify muscle imbalances and limited range of motion, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recovering from injury — If you’re recovering from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to monitor your progress and ensure that your body is recovering and developing strength correctly.
• Anyone else recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, in a slip and fall, or need post-surgical therapy, you don’t have to be an athlete to derive advantages from gait analysis in facilitating your recuperation from trauma.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned veteran, gait analysis can help you in identifying the right footwear, which, along with further insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, preserve energy, and reduce the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically interrupt your movement 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 help 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 various conditions can significantly influence our day-to-day functioning and movement health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and shape 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 provide assistance in identifying ways to relieve pressure on painful joints, reduce injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor elements of mobility health.

Regardless of why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s working to finally run that marathon or simply enjoy your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Sunset Hills, MO will employ gait analysis to customize your treatment, maximize your care, and help you in getting back to the experiences you love.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are generally 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 in real time and via video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to gain a broad assessment of your movement health and effortlessly spot any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis relies on the clinical expertise of the therapist to reach conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this technique employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to provide objective, measurable data regarding your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it enables more in-depth analysis and tracking of your progress over a period of time.

Both qualitative and quantitative gait analysis are suitable in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Sunset Hills, MO has the capacity and knowledge to customize our gait analysis services to meet your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Sunset Hills, MO

At Axes, our main objective is delivering positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we employ every available tool to support our patients in Sunset Hills, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Sunset Hills, MO, our expert physical therapists employ cutting-edge DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide combined qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are placed on your body that monitor your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that algorithmic information into helpful information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more thorough analysis and examination of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their clinical observations to recommend efficient, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly tracked over time and compared against the average population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Sunset Hills, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to offering our Sunset Hills, MO patients with successful, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that fit their lifestyles and goals. Gait analysis can be included in your personalized treatment plan:

• To begin the process, ask your doctor if gait analysis may be advantageous for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a comprehensive patient interview and assessment to gain insight into your objectives, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll build a team with you and your doctor, integrating the results of gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, optimizing your mobility health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been validated through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their efficacy.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll support you in choosing appropriate footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while educating you on sustaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, utilizing insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll employ gait analysis, alongside other measurable information and markers, to continuously assess your growth and adjust your treatment plan as needed.

Axes offers a lot more than just a series of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and cutting-edge technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Sunset Hills, MO who are determined to provide optimal results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Sunset Hills, 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 Sunset Hills, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly contribute to your overall health and movement health, regardless of whether that means gliding down the court or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are dedicated to providing individualized, evidence-based treatment plans, we’re the few clinics in the Sunset Hills, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to optimize your movement health, call the nearest Axes location or contact us online to determine if gait analysis in Sunset Hills, MO is right for you.