VALD | Practitioner's Guide to Movement Analysis

Building an objective framework for movement-based decision-making.

Movement analysis has long been central to rehabilitation and performance practice. However, traditional visual assessment alone limits sensitivity, consistency and confidence in decision-making.

The Practitioner’s Guide to Movement Analysis provides a structured framework for integrating kinematic assessment technologies into applied settings. It outlines how to select and standardize tests, interpret kinematic metrics responsibly and combine movement data with kinetic and strength assessments to build a more robust assessment process.

Technology gives our team clarity. It provides a reliable baseline for how athletes move, removes ambiguity around posture and rotation and grounds our decisions in objective information. It also aligns our entire staff – physical therapists, skills coaches and strength coaches – so everyone works from the same data, which streamlines communication and keeps programming consistent. Ultimately, HumanTrak elevates our standard of care by combining coaching expertise with technology-driven insight.

At the University of Pittsburgh’s Neuromuscular Research Laboratory and Warrior Human Performance Center, the HumanTrak is used to assess warfighters for field research studies. It offers valid and reliable testing capabilities, metrics and data processes that are paramount for groundbreaking research. When used in conjunction with force plates, we can capture field-expedient results indicative of changes in neuromuscular performance from head to toe, allowing comparisons over time or across militarily relevant load conditions.

Technology has become an essential tool in my practice because it helps us objectively understand how someone moves, not just how they feel. In my lab, that clarity supports smarter exercise decisions across injury prevention, return-to-sport planning, performance optimization and long-term health. This approach enables us to work effectively and build immediate trust with a wide range of patients.

The ability to use VALD technology simultaneously provides objective insights into movement quality that would not be possible with traditional video review or qualitative analysis. For example, a simple squat assessment performed with HumanTrak allows the practitioner to see the biomechanics that contribute to their specific limitations.

Force plates and dynamometry are excellent for measuring strength, asymmetry and other performance outputs, but motion capture adds the missing layer: how someone ‘actually moves.’ It helps me identify movement strategies, compensations and patterns that isolated numbers alone can’t explain, which is key for supporting decision-making.

Using VALD’s HumanTrak helps us transform treatment into education by clearly showing how the body moves and where it doesn’t. From tactical athletes in high-pressure law enforcement roles to patients undergoing weight loss surgery, it allows us to prescribe safe, effective corrective exercises while building understanding and confidence.

By turning complex movement data into simple, visual feedback through its integration with VALD Hub and MoveHealth, we enable patients to take ownership of their movement and progress. This approach supports not only physical improvement but also a positive, sustainable wellness journey.

Practitioner’s Guide to Movement Analysis

Building an objective framework for movement-based decision-making.

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