Gait analysis in Woodson Terrace, MO. Gait analysis, in combination with video motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare professionals can assess your movement to offer better therapy and get you back to the things you love most. Whether you’re an athlete recovering from an injury or you’re trying to handle chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed plan of care that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

Your Woodson Terrace, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Discover underlying musculoskeletal or nerve impairment that results in pain or influences 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 Woodson Terrace, MO, our staff of physical therapists are dedicated to one thing: getting you back to what you enjoy most. If you’re wondering if gait analysis is right for you, call the Axes’ location closest to you or request an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When performed 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 status of injury rehabilitation, 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 Woodson Terrace, 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 Woodson Terrace, MO physical therapist can customize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Woodson Terrace, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a treatment by itself, it provides essential insights to your physical therapist about your motion, allowing them to offer more focused and personalized approach. As such, gait analysis can benefit a wide range of people in Woodson Terrace, MO:

• Athletes looking for a performance boost — Correct form becomes vital at the highest level of 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 recovering and building strength properly.
• Anyone else 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 positives from gait analysis in aiding your recuperation from trauma.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re a seasoned vet, gait analysis can help you in finding the appropriate footwear, which, coupled with additional insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, preserve energy, and lower the chance of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can greatly disrupt your movement health, as well as 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 also 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 affect our day-to-day functioning and movement health. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to track disease progression, assess treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies naturally weaken as we age. This may lead to an increased risk of falling for older adults, in addition to degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in identifying ways to lessen pressure on aching joints, mitigate injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor elements of movement health.

No matter why you’re considering physical therapy, whether it’s working to eventually run that marathon or just engage in your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed therapists in Woodson Terrace, MO will utilize gait analysis to customize your treatment, optimize your care, and assist you in getting back to the activities you cherish.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are commonly two major types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this technique entails a physical therapist directly observing your gait in real time and through video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to obtain a overall overview of your movement health and easily spot any observable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis relies on the professional judgment of the therapist to reach conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this method employs specific technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to deliver objective, measurable data about your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it allows more in-depth analysis and monitoring of your improvement over time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are appropriate in the right circumstances and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Woodson Terrace, MO has the capacity and knowledge to personalize our gait analysis services to meet your particular needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Woodson Terrace, MO

At Axes, our primary focus is achieving positive patient outcomes and helping individuals in returning to what they love most. To accomplish this, we utilize every possible tool that can help our patients in Woodson Terrace, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Woodson Terrace, MO, our highly skilled 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 attached to your body that record your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that algorithmic information into helpful information that your physical therapist can review
• During playback, your movements are slowed down to aid a more comprehensive 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 tracked over time and compared against the average population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Woodson Terrace, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is committed to providing our Woodson Terrace, MO patients with effective, safe, and scientifically validated treatment plans that suit their lifestyles and objectives. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your individualized treatment plan:

• To get started, speak with your doctor to evaluate if gait analysis might be helpful for you, or visit any Axes’ location for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.
• We’ll conduct a thorough patient interview and physical examination to understand your goals, preferences, and health background.
• We’ll build a team with you and your doctor, integrating the insights from gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, optimizing 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 efficacy.
• In addition to offering physical therapy exercises, we’ll assist you in selecting suitable footwear, braces, or other devices, while informing you on maintaining proper posture and improving movement health, utilizing insights acquired from gait analysis.
• We’ll utilize gait analysis, alongside other measurable information and markers, to continuously review your growth and adapt your treatment plan as needed.

Axes delivers a lot more than simply a series of exercises to check off. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and advanced technologies at our disposal, Axes offers a committed team of physical therapists in Woodson Terrace, MO who are motivated to provide excellent results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Woodson Terrace, 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 Woodson Terrace, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can greatly contribute to your overall well-being and movement health, whether that means flying down the field or playing with your grandkids without pain. As we are committed to offering personalized, evidence-based treatment plans, we are among the few clinics in the Woodson Terrace, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to improve your movement health, call the nearest Axes location or contact us online to find out if gait analysis in Woodson Terrace, MO is appropriate for you.