Chronic Pain Treatment Affton, MO

Chronic Pain Treatment in Affton, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Affton, MO. If you suffer from chronic pain, you know all too well how limiting it can be. Sometimes, it goes on so long that we forget how good we used to feel. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably performing basic activities like walking up the stairs, or the things we love doing the most, whether that be dominating your local pick-up league or working in the garden.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of 15 physical and occupational therapy locations devoted to helping our Affton, MO patients find meaningful relief through personalized and evidence-backed chronic pain treatment. If you’re finally ready to move on from chronic pain, call our location nearest you or contact us online for safe chronic pain treatment.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that doesn’t go away after 3-6 months, which is generally considered to be the “normal” healing period. The pain can occur every day or every few days, can stay in one spot or radiate through your body, and can change in severity from aching to burning pain.

Based on research from the CDC, in 2019 one out of five adults nationwide had chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (over a third of those with chronic pain) had “high-impact” chronic pain, which is pain that occurs on more days than not that affects how somebody can work or perform other activities. Anyone who suffers from frequent pain symptoms will tell you that it causes far more than just physical discomfort. Chronic pain affects quality of life and leads to higher medical expenses. It can also cause significant mental health issues and trouble sleeping.

Why Do I Have Chronic Pain?

Pain, generally speaking, is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. In most cases, pain is due to a specific incident or illness. “Acute pain” occurs immediately, usually because of a discernible, underlying cause such as being hit with something, dental work, or surgery. It can last for anywhere from a few minutes to months while the injury heals.

By contrast, people can experience chronic pain for several reasons. In some cases there may be an injury that hurts even after it’s healed . In other cases, it’s caused by a medical condition, or happens as our bodies wear down as we age. Sometimes, there is no discernible cause for someone’s chronic pain. Common types and causes of chronic pain include:

Arthritis and other conditions that cause joint pain — The cartilage, tendons, and ligaments in our joints can become irritated or wear down over time or due to an injury, causing chronic pain in the affected joint.
A variety of conditions that lead to low back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 adults will deal with back pain at some point in their lives. Causes can be poor posture or technique, wear and tear at a physically demanding job, sciatica, or disc injuries that impinge on the nerves in the spinal column.
Cancer pain — Tumors can lead to pain when they grow and touch other parts inside your body.
Fibromyalgia — While an exact cause isn’t yet known, this refers to widespread muscle pain and tenderness.
Neurogenic pain and psychogenic pain — Sometimes, pain does not occur for a physical reason, but rather it’s caused by the nervous system, or because of mental health issues or your personal history.

There are many pointers for easing chronic pain, and while many can help you be more active in your daily life, many of our Affton, MO patients have felt like they tried everything and still can’t feel better. Often, physical therapy is the treatment that finally gets them relief and returns them to the things that are most important to them.

Chronic Pain Treatment Affton, MO | Pain Management | Physical Therapist Near Affton

Why Is Physical Therapy in Affton, MO a Great Option For Chronic Pain Treatment?

There are many possible options for chronic pain treatment in Affton, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter drugs, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and regular exercise. Studies show that making physical therapy a part of your treatment plan is incredibly effective for relieving chronic pain. You can come to any Axes location in the Affton area for a free screening to learn what might be causing your chronic pain. We’ll ask you questions to better understand how we can help you. Do you experience pain every day? Most days? When does it come on? When does it get better? How does your chronic pain affect you in your daily life? From there, we’ll work in tandem with you and your doctor to develop a tailor-made treatment plan aimed at returning you to the activities you love most.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by increasing your strength, balance, posture, and range of motion. Helping you achieve optimal movement health eases pain and enhances your daily life by making your body function better, and breaking up any signals to your brain that something may be wrong. Depending on you, the nature of your chronic pain, how old you are, and the activity level you wish to get back to, your treatment plan in Affton, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise increases endorphins, your body’s homegrown, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only reduces pain but helps with any depression, stress, and/or anxiety you feel because of your pain. A qualified Affton, MO physical therapist can lead you through exercises that will safely and effectively improve your mobility. With guided exercise, we can re-train your brain to accept certain movements and positions without pain, rebuilding how your brain processes messages. We’ll also show you light exercises you can do outside of our sessions.

Manual Therapy and Soft Tissue Mobilization

Manual therapy involves therapeutic touch to encourage your body’s natural healing process and relaxation of the surrounding tissues. Your Affton, MO physical therapist will use their hands to gently put pressure on soft tissue. Studies have shown that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is better at treating pain than either technique used alone.

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization is a form of manual therapy, except that instead of their hands, physical therapists use specialized tools like Graston®.

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new tool that is becoming more popular among Affton, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate inflamed soft tissue. In doing so, it stimulates the body’s “healing mode” and stimulates the nutrient-rich blood flow to the affected body part.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes over the body part that’s causing you pain. It delivers low-voltage currents, which releases endorphins and awakens nerve cells that stop your brain from receiving pain signals.

Patient Education

Understanding the cause of your pain and how to cope with it can do wonders for your chronic pain treatment in Affton, MO. We’ll teach you appropriate posture and movement practices, in addition to healthy lifestyle tips like how to keep a healthy diet.

Other services we offer in Affton, MO include:

Chronic Pain Treatment Affton, MO | Physical Therapy | Pain Management Near Affton

Call Axes Physical Therapy For Your Chronic Pain Treatment in Affton, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy in Affton, MO, we do what we do for simple reasons: to achieve positive patient experiences and help our patients return to to their best life. Whether you want to be able to run across the tennis court like you used to, or just want to carry the groceries in without discomfort, speak to a physical therapist in Affton, MO today or make an appointment online for meaningful chronic pain treatment.