Feel Good and Look Good With Gait Training
By: Edward G. Loniewski, DO, FACOS, FAOAO
Three Key Points about Physical Therapy and Gait Analysis:
- Arthritis can affect the way you walk
- Altered gait patterns can affect other parts of your body
- Correcting muscle weakness and alignment of the joint can help you recover
Why should you feel great about your knee, but still limp? Some stem cell treatment centers will quickly provide a stem cell therapy and just as quickly kick you out the door while you are still limping. At Cellular Healing we take a totally different approach. We can provide a comprehensive evaluation and treatment including an evaluation and correction of your gait. So you can walk as good as you feel!
What is Gait Analysis?
Gait analysis is a careful evaluation of the key components of how you walk. This analysis includes walking during normal and high activity periods, with corrective therapeutic recommendations. The process is a simple visit with a certified physical therapist who will evaluate how you walk while making suggestions to help improve the biomechanics of your daily gait, your gait at work, and your gait while performing sporting activities. Evaluations of larger muscle group strength and efficiency, leg length discrepancies, and foot placement or alignment will be made with the intention to normalize your gait and limit the stress on other parts of your body.
How is Gait Analysis Performed?
A board certified orthopedic surgeon will begin by evaluating your overall condition with the help of a physical exam and your medical history. Next, a careful evaluation of your gait will be performed. If it is found that you have a deficiency which can be corrected by our specialized therapists, a prescription for this form of therapy will then be written.
You will be scheduled for your official gait training evaluation with one of our experienced physical therapists or athletic trainers. At this visit, the therapist will perform some basic strength and gait evaluations and provide you with a written plan of suggestions to improve your overall alignment during both walking and sporting activities.
How Long Does Gait Training Take, and How Much Does It Cost?
Normally, there are one or two visits involved. Patients are evaluated by a certified physical therapist who will take them through a series of tests and observations, and simple written evaluation is performed regarding key components of their gait. Altogether, this should take less than one hour.
If you have physical therapy covered by your insurance plan, you may only owe your standard copayment or deductible. However, if you choose gait training as part of one of our comprehensive cell based therapies, there is no additional charge.
Is Gait Training Effective?
Yes - multiple peer reviewed journal articles reveal that gait training can help to reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis[1]. In addition, performing strengthening exercises of muscles away from the joint with arthritis, such as the butt muscles of the hip, can improve your recovery[2].
So, limp over to your phone and call 810-299-8552 or click here for an on-line request form to schedule an appointment with Dr. Loniewski so you can look as good as you feel!
If you would like to attend one of our free seminars which reviews all the current cutting edge technologies for your arthritis, register HERE.
If you are not yet ready to schedule an appointment, but you are very curious about your real options for your arthritis, click to download our free e-book.
[1] Segal NA, Glass NA, Teran-Yengle P, Singh B, Wallace RB, Yack HJ. Intensive Gait Training for Older Adults with Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis. American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation / Association of Academic Physiatrists. 2015;94(10 0 1):848-858. doi:10.1097/PHM.0000000000000264
[2] Kobsar D, Osis ST, Hettinga BA, Ferber R. Gait Biomechanics and Patient-Reported Function as Predictors of Response to a Hip Strengthening Exercise Intervention in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis. Hug F, ed. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(10):e0139923. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0139923