Gait analysis in Weldon Spring, MO. Gait analysis, also called motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners to assess your movement to offer personalized therapy and get you back to the things you enjoy most. 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 tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

Your Weldon Spring, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Detect and address gait disorders
• Discover underlying musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that results in pain or affects movement health
• Measure and follow treatment outcomes
• Prevent and recover from injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Choose footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Weldon Spring, MO, our team of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: getting you back to what you enjoy most. If you’re curious if gait analysis would be beneficial for you, call the Axes’ location nearest you or request an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When performed by professional physical therapists, gait analysis is an evaluation of how you move, specifically how you walk and run. By gaining precise information about how you walk and run, your physical therapist can offer insights into muscle imbalances, injury risks, the status 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 Weldon Spring, 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 Weldon Spring, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Weldon Spring, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy in and of itself, it provides essential data to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more specific and personalized approach. As such, gait analysis can be advantageous for a wide range of people in Weldon Spring, MO:

• Athletes desiring a competitive edge in their sport — Correct form becomes vital 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 recuperating from injury — If you’re coming back 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 healing and developing strength properly.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, in a slip and fall, or need post-surgical therapy, you don’t have to be an athlete to derive positives 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, together with other insights from gait analysis, can enhance your speed, save energy, and lower the chance of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically disrupt your movement health, in addition to causing phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices specifically designed to your body and lifestyle. It can also assist you in adjusting to your new device and optimizing its performance and comfort.
• Those suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can greatly impact our everyday lives and mobility health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies naturally weaken as we age. This can cause an increased risk of falling for older adults, as well as degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in discovering ways to alleviate pressure on aching joints, reduce injury risks, and examine the cognitive and motor elements of movement health.

Regardless of why you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to ultimately run that marathon or simply enjoy your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Weldon Spring, MO will employ gait analysis to customize your treatment, optimize your care, and assist you in getting back to the activities you enjoy.

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 approach entails a physical therapist directly observing your gait as you walk and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to obtain a broad overview of your movement health and effortlessly detect any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis relies on the professional judgment of the therapist to make assessments.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this method employs specific technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to provide objective, measurable data about your gait. By using precise numerical values, it enables greater detailed analysis and tracking of your improvement over time.

Both qualitative and instrument-assisted gait analysis are suitable in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Weldon Spring, MO has the capabilities and expertise to personalize our gait analysis services to fulfill your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Weldon Spring, MO

At Axes, our primary goal is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in returning to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we utilize every possible tool that can help our patients in Weldon Spring, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Weldon Spring, MO, our experienced physical therapists utilize innovative DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide both qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that monitor your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that hard data into useful information that your physical therapist can review
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more comprehensive analysis and examination of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their professional observations to prescribe efficient, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously tracked over time and compared against the average population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Weldon Spring, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to delivering our Weldon Spring, MO patients with effective, safe, and research-supported treatment plans that align with their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your personalized treatment plan:

• To begin the process, speak with your doctor to evaluate if gait analysis might be helpful for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a detailed patient interview and physical examination to understand your objectives, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll form a partnership with you and your doctor, including the insights from gait analysis into your holistic treatment approach, enhancing your mobility health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll create personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in selecting proper footwear, braces, or other devices, while educating you on achieving proper posture and optimizing movement health, drawing on insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll employ gait analysis, alongside other measurable information and indicators, to consistently review your progress and adjust your treatment plan as needed.

Axes provides a lot more than just a list of exercises to check off. With decades of combined experience, clinical expertise, and innovative technologies at our fingertips, Axes provides a committed team of physical therapists in Weldon Spring, MO who are driven to deliver the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Weldon Spring, 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 Weldon Spring, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can positively improve your overall well-being and movement health, regardless of whether that involves flying down the court or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are dedicated to providing personalized, evidence-based treatment plans, we’re among the few clinics in the Weldon Spring, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to optimize your movement health, get in touch with the nearest Axes location or contact us online to determine if gait analysis in Weldon Spring, MO is appropriate for you.