Gait analysis in Weingarten, MO. Gait analysis, also called motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare providers can examine your movement to offer personalized therapy and get you back to the things you love most. Whether you’re an athlete healing 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 tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Uncover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that results in pain or impacts 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 Weingarten, MO, our team of physical therapists base our practice on 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 through our website to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When done by professional 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 product of a variety 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 Weingarten, 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 Weingarten, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Weingarten, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a healing method by itself, it provides valuable information to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more specific and personalized care. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Weingarten, MO:

• Athletes looking for a performance boost — Correct form becomes increasingly important at the pinnacle of competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify 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 track your progress and verify that your body is recuperating and building strength properly.
• 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 experience advantages from gait analysis in facilitating your recovery 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 identifying the appropriate footwear, which, along with additional insights from gait analysis, can boost your speed, save energy, and lower the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can greatly interrupt your movement health, in addition to causing phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices customized to your body and lifestyle. It can furthermore assist 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 impact our daily lives and mobility health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies naturally weaken as we age. This can cause an heightened risk of falling for older adults, as well as 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 elements of mobility health.

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

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are generally two main types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this method entails a physical therapist personally observing your gait as you walk and via video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to acquire a overall assessment of your mobility health and readily detect any apparent 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 technique employs specific technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, quantifiable data about your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it enables more detailed analysis and monitoring of your improvement over a period of time.

Both clinical and quantitative gait analysis are suitable in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Weingarten, MO has the capabilities and expertise to personalize our gait analysis services to address your particular needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Weingarten, MO

At Axes, our main aim is achieving positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in returning to what they love most. To accomplish this, we utilize every available tool to support our patients in Weingarten, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Weingarten, MO, our expert physical therapists employ state-of-the-art DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide both qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that track your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that algorithmic information into helpful information that your physical therapist can examine
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to enable a more thorough analysis and examination of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their professional observations to prescribe efficient, evidence-based 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 Weingarten, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is committed to delivering our Weingarten, MO patients with successful, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that fit 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 helpful for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a detailed history taking and physical examination to gain insight into your goals, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll build a team with you and your doctor, integrating the results of gait analysis into your comprehensive treatment approach, improving your movement health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in choosing appropriate footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on maintaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, utilizing insights acquired from gait analysis.
• We’ll leverage gait analysis, alongside other quantitative data and indicators, to constantly assess your growth and modify your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes delivers far more than simply a series of exercises to tick off. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and state-of-the-art technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a dedicated team of physical therapists in Weingarten, MO who are determined to provide the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Weingarten, 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 Weingarten, 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 pain. As we are committed to offering individualized treatment plans that are proven to work, we’re the limited number of clinics in the Weingarten, MO area that offer 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 Weingarten, MO is right for you.