Gait analysis in Windsor Springs, MO. Gait analysis, in combination with video motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners to evaluate your movement to offer personalized care and return you to the activities you love. 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 therapy program that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

Your Windsor Springs, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Windsor Springs, MO, our team of physical therapists are devoted to one thing: getting you back to what you enjoy most. If you’re curious if gait analysis can help you, call the Axes’ location nearest you or make an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When done by qualified 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 rehabilitation, 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 Windsor Springs, 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 Windsor Springs, MO physical therapist can customize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Windsor Springs, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a healing method by itself, it offers crucial information to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more specific and customized treatment. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Windsor Springs, MO:

• Athletes searching for a competitive edge — Proper form becomes crucial at the zenith of competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify muscle imbalances and range of motion limitations, and prevent injury.
• Athletes recuperating from injury — If you’re recovering from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to track how your recovery’s going and verify that your body is healing and developing strength appropriately.
• 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 aiding 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 aid you in identifying the right footwear, which, coupled with further insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, conserve energy, and lower the chance of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can greatly disrupt your mobility 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 additionally support you in acclimating to your new device and maximizing its function and convenience.
• People suffering from neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can significantly affect our daily lives and movement health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to track disease progression, judge treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently weaken as we age. This can result in an heightened risk of falling for older adults, as well as degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can offer support in identifying ways to lessen pressure on sore joints, minimize injury risks, and examine the cognitive and motor aspects of movement health.

No matter the reason you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s striving to eventually run that marathon or just enjoy your day-to-day life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Windsor Springs, MO will utilize gait analysis to customize your treatment, optimize your care, and help you in getting back to the pursuits you enjoy.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are typically two primary types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this method entails a physical therapist directly watching your gait in real time and via video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to acquire a overall assessment of your movement health and easily identify any apparent 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 approach employs advanced technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, quantifiable data concerning your gait. By using precise numerical values, it enables more thorough analysis and tracking of your progress over time.

Both qualitative and quantitative gait analysis are suitable in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Windsor Springs, MO possesses the ability and expertise to customize our gait analysis services to fulfill your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Windsor Springs, MO

At Axes, our primary aim is delivering positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in returning to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we utilize every possible tool to support our patients in Windsor Springs, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Windsor Springs, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists utilize advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer combined qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are placed on your body that track your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that algorithmic information into useful information that your physical therapist can examine
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to aid a more comprehensive analysis and examination of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their professional observations to prescribe successful, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is continuously tracked over time and evaluated against the typical population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Windsor Springs, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to providing our Windsor Springs, MO patients with successful, safe, and evidence-backed treatment plans that align with their lifestyles and objectives. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your customized treatment plan:

• To get started, talk to your doctor to assess if gait analysis might be advantageous for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a complimentary injury screening.
• We’ll perform a detailed history taking and assessment to understand your objectives, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll form a team with you and your doctor, incorporating the findings of gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, improving your movement health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll design personalized treatment plans integrating methodologies that have been confirmed through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll support you in selecting suitable footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while informing you on achieving proper posture and improving movement health, drawing on insights acquired from gait analysis.
• We’ll leverage gait analysis, together with other quantitative data and indicators, to constantly evaluate your progress and adapt your treatment plan as needed.

Axes offers much more than just a list of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and advanced technologies at our fingertips, Axes offers a specialized team of physical therapists in Windsor Springs, MO who are determined to provide excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Windsor Springs, 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 Windsor Springs, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly improve your overall health and movement health, whether that involves soaring 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 Windsor Springs, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to optimize your movement health, reach out to the nearest Axes location or contact us online to determine if gait analysis in Windsor Springs, MO is suitable for you.