Gait analysis in Truesdale, MO. Gait analysis, in combination with video motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to evaluate your movement to offer personalized treatment 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 chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed plan of care that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Detect and address gait disorders
• Uncover underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that leads to pain or influences movement health
• Measure and follow treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehabilitate injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Find footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Truesdale, MO, our team of physical therapists are committed to one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re curious 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 done by qualified 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 progress of injury rehabilitation, and more. Because our gaits our the result of a multitude 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 Truesdale, 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 Truesdale, MO physical therapist can customize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Truesdale, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a treatment in and of itself, it offers essential information to your physical therapist about your mobility, allowing them to offer more specific and customized treatment. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Truesdale, MO:

• Athletes desiring a competitive edge in their sport — Proper form becomes crucial at the zenith of competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address strength imbalances and range of motion limitations, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recovering from injury — If you’re coming off an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to monitor your progress and ensure that your body is recovering and building strength correctly.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, in a slip and fall, or had to get surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to experience benefits from gait analysis in assisting your recovery from injury.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re an experienced vet, gait analysis can help you in finding the appropriate footwear, which, coupled with additional insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, save energy, and reduce the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically interrupt your mobility health, along with resulting in phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices specifically designed to your body and lifestyle. It can furthermore help you in adapting to your new device and optimizing its performance and comfort.
• People suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can profoundly impact our daily lives and mobility health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies naturally lose strength as we age. This can cause an elevated risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can offer support in finding ways to lessen pressure on aching joints, minimize injury risks, and evaluate the cognitive and motor facets of mobility health.

Regardless of the reason you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s working to ultimately run that marathon or just engage in your daily life without pain, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Truesdale, MO will utilize gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and assist you in getting back to the activities you enjoy.

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 in real time and through video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to acquire a broad overview of your movement health and easily detect any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis depends on the professional judgment of the therapist to draw conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this technique employs advanced technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, measurable data concerning 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 instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Truesdale, MO has the capabilities and expertise to tailor our gait analysis services to address your particular needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Truesdale, MO

At Axes, our main aim is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we utilize every available tool that can help our patients in Truesdale, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Truesdale, MO, our experienced physical therapists utilize advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide both qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are attached to your body that record your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that algorithmic information into helpful information that your physical therapist can examine
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to aid a more detailed analysis and breakdown of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their professional observations to prescribe effective, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously monitored over time and compared against the normal population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Truesdale, MO

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

• To begin the process, speak with your doctor to assess if gait analysis might be advantageous for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a detailed patient interview and physical examination to gain insight into your objectives, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll form a partnership with you and your doctor, integrating the insights from gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, enhancing your mobility health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll create personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been validated through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in choosing proper footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while informing you on maintaining proper posture and optimizing movement health, utilizing insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll utilize gait analysis, alongside other quantitative data and markers, to constantly assess your growth and modify your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes offers a lot more than just a list of exercises to check off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and cutting-edge technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Truesdale, MO who are motivated to provide excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Truesdale, MO 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 Truesdale, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly improve your overall well-being and movement health, whether that means moving down the field or going up stairs without discomfort. As we are dedicated to providing individualized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re one of the limited number of clinics in the Truesdale, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to improve your movement health, contact the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Truesdale, MO is right for you.