Gait analysis in Winfield, MO. Gait analysis, also known as motion analysis, is a method used by physical therapists and other healthcare providers to examine your mobility to offer personalized treatment and get you back to the things you like doing most. Whether you’re an athlete dealing with an injury or you’re trying to manage chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

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

• Diagnose and treat gait disorders
• Find out hidden musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that causes pain or impacts movement health
• Assess and track 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 Winfield, 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 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 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 result of a combination of factors – strength, flexibility, coordination, vision, the vestibular system – gait analysis can provide a valuable look at what may be affecting your movement health.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Winfield, 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 Winfield, MO physical therapist can tailor your treatment and help you achieve the most rewards for your movement health and fitness.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Winfield, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a healing method in and of itself, it provides crucial data to your physical therapist about your motion, allowing them to offer more focused and personalized treatment. As such, gait analysis can be advantageous for a wide range of people in Winfield, MO:

• Athletes seeking a competitive edge in their sport — Correct form becomes essential at the peak of athletic competition. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, address strength imbalances and restricted mobility, 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 monitor your progress and ensure 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 experience benefits from gait analysis in aiding your recuperation from trauma.
• 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 suitable footwear, which, along with additional insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, conserve energy, and lower the risk of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically disrupt your movement 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 assist you in adjusting to your new device and optimizing its performance and comfort.
• People with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can profoundly influence our day-to-day functioning and movement health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to observe disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inherently weaken as we age. This may lead to an elevated risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions such as tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in identifying ways to lessen pressure on aching joints, reduce injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor elements of movement health.

Regardless of the reason you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s striving to ultimately run that marathon or simply engage in your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Winfield, MO will utilize gait analysis to personalize your treatment, maximize your care, and help you in returning to the experiences you love.

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 watching your gait in real time and through video recordings. It enables the physical therapist to gain a overall overview of your movement health and easily spot any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis utilizes the clinical expertise of the therapist to draw conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this approach employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, quantifiable data concerning your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it enables more thorough analysis and tracking of your progress over a period of time.

Both qualitative and quantitative gait analysis are appropriate in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Winfield, MO has the capabilities and expertise to personalize our gait analysis services to meet your specific needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Winfield, MO

At Axes, our main aim is delivering positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in getting back to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we make use of every available tool to support our patients in Winfield, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Winfield, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists employ advanced DorsaVi video motion analysis to offer both qualitative and quantitative services.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are positioned on your body that monitor your movement, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software converts that algorithmic information into helpful information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more thorough analysis and breakdown of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist integrates these insights with their professional observations to recommend efficient, proven treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly monitored over time and compared against the average population as well as your prior sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Winfield, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is committed to providing our Winfield, MO patients with successful, safe, and evidence-backed treatment plans that fit their daily lives and objectives. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your individualized treatment plan:

• To get started, consult your doctor to evaluate if gait analysis may be helpful for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a detailed patient interview and assessment to gain insight into your goals, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll build a partnership with you and your doctor, incorporating the findings of gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, improving your mobility health, and promoting overall wellness.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been proven through research and scholarly studies, ensuring their effectiveness.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in picking proper footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on maintaining proper posture and optimizing movement health, incorporating insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll employ gait analysis, together with other measurable data and indicators, to continuously assess your progress and modify your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes delivers far more than simply a series of exercises to complete. 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 Winfield, MO who are motivated to deliver optimal results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Winfield, MO include:

• Back Pain Treatment
• 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

Call Axes’ for Your Gait Analysis in Winfield, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly contribute to your overall health and performance, regardless of whether that means soaring down the court or going up stairs without discomfort. As we are committed to providing customized treatment plans that are proven to work, we are one of the few clinics in the Winfield, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to improve your movement health, get in touch with the nearest Axes location or contact us online to determine if gait analysis in Winfield, MO is suitable for you.