Gait analysis in Wentzville, MO. Gait analysis, in combination with video motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to assess your mobility to offer better therapy and get you back to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete recovering from an injury or you’re trying to manage arthritis, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed treatment plan that’s personalized for your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Discover underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that causes pain or affects movement health
• Assess and track treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehabilitate injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Choose footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Wentzville, MO, our team of physical therapists base our practice on one thing: positive patient outcomes. If you’re wondering 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 done by licensed physical therapists, gait analysis is an evaluation of how you move, specifically how you walk and run. By understanding how you walk and run, 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 combination 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 Wentzville, 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 Wentzville, MO physical therapist can personalize your treatment and help you achieve the most benefit for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Wentzville, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy by itself, it provides crucial information to your physical therapist about your motion, allowing them to offer more targeted and customized treatment. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Wentzville, MO:

• Athletes seeking a competitive edge — Proper form becomes increasingly important at the peak of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify strength imbalances and range of motion limitations, and prevent injury.
• Athletes healing from injury — If you’re recovering from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to monitor your progress and verify that your body is recovering and developing strength properly.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured at work, involved in a car accident, or need post-surgical therapy, you don’t have to be an athlete to gain advantages from gait analysis in aiding 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 assist you in identifying the appropriate footwear, which, together with additional insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, conserve energy, and minimize the probability of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically interrupt your mobility 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 maximizing its function and convenience.
• People with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other conditions can significantly affect our everyday functioning and mobility health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and direct rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably lose strength as we age. This can cause an increased risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can be beneficial in identifying ways to relieve pressure on aching joints, minimize injury risks, and examine the cognitive and motor facets of mobility health.

No matter why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s aiming to ultimately run that marathon or simply engage in your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Wentzville, MO will employ gait analysis to customize your treatment, optimize your care, and assist you in getting back to the experiences you cherish.

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 personally watching your gait as you walk and via video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to acquire a broad overview of your movement health and effortlessly detect any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis utilizes the professional judgment of the therapist to reach conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this method employs advanced technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to offer objective, measurable data about your gait. By utilizing precise numerical values, it enables greater thorough analysis and monitoring of your improvement over a period of time.

Both qualitative and instrument-assisted gait analysis are suitable in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Wentzville, MO possesses the ability and knowledge to personalize our gait analysis services to fulfill your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Wentzville, MO

At Axes, our main goal is achieving positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in returning to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we utilize every available tool to support our patients in Wentzville, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Wentzville, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists utilize state-of-the-art DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide both qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are placed on your body that track your motion, 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 comprehensive analysis and breakdown of your movement
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their clinical observations to recommend effective, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly tracked over time and evaluated against the average population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Wentzville, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to delivering our Wentzville, MO patients with effective, safe, and evidence-backed treatment plans that suit their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be included in your personalized treatment plan:

• To get started, consult your doctor to determine if gait analysis could be helpful for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a free injury screening.
• We’ll carry out a detailed history taking and assessment to gain insight into your objectives, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll create a partnership with you and your doctor, including the insights from gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, improving your mobility health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll create personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their success.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll help you in choosing appropriate footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on sustaining proper posture and improving movement health, incorporating insights gained from gait analysis.
• We’ll use gait analysis, alongside other quantitative information and indicators, to consistently assess your growth and adapt your treatment plan accordingly.

Axes offers much more than simply a list of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and cutting-edge technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a specialized team of physical therapists in Wentzville, MO who are motivated to provide the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Wentzville, 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 Wentzville, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly contribute to your overall well-being and performance, regardless of whether that involves gliding down the court or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are dedicated to offering personalized, evidence-based treatment plans, we are the limited number of clinics in the Wentzville, 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 Wentzville, MO is appropriate for you.