Chronic Pain Treatment in Campbellton, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Campbellton, MO. Anyone who has lived with chronic pain knows how hard it is to express how much it limits you. For some of us, it goes on so long that we lose sight of how good we used to feel. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably completing daily activities like walking up the stairs, or the activities we love best, whether that be flying down the field or working in the garden.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of 15 physical and occupational therapy locations committed to helping our Campbellton, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through customized chronic pain treatment plans, based on techniques that have been proven to work. To get back to the activities you love most, call the location nearest you or request an appointment for successful chronic pain treatment.

What Type of Pain is Considered “Chronic”?

Chronic pain is pain that doesn’t go away after 3-6 months, which is how long it takes most people and conditions to heal. The pain can occur every day or every few days, can stay in one spot or hit different muscles or joints, and can change in severity from stiffness to stinging pain.

According to the CDC, in 2019 20.4% of adults nationwide suffered from chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (over a third of those who experienced chronic pain) suffered from “high-impact” chronic pain, defined as pain that, on “most days” or “every day,” limits work or life activities. Anyone who suffers from pain frequently will tell you that it causes far more than just physical discomfort. Chronic pain impacts quality of life and leads to higher medical expenses. It can also cause significant mental health issues and insomnia.

What Causes Chronic Pain?

Pain, generally speaking, occurs when nerves called nociceptors detect damage somewhere in your body, and send a signal through your spinal cord up to your brain. In most cases, pain is due to trauma, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs at once, usually because of a known, root cause such as an injury, dental work, or surgery. It can last for anywhere from a few minutes to months while the injury heals.

By contrast, the causes of chronic pain aren’t always easily known. Sometimes an injury continues to cause pain despite the fact that, structurally, it has healed . In other cases, it’s caused by a medical condition, or occurs as our bodies wear down as we age. Sometimes, there is no observable cause for someone’s chronic pain. Common types and causes of chronic pain include:

• Arthritis, bursitis, tendinitis, and other conditions that cause joint pain — The cartilage, tendons, and ligaments in our joints can become irritated or wear down from overuse or overexertion, causing chronic pain in the affected joint.
• Numerous different conditions that cause lower back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 adults suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Causes can be poor posture or technique, repetitive motions at work, sciatica, or a variety of disc injuries.
• Cancer pain — Tumors can cause pain when they push up against tissue, nerves, or organs.
• Fibromyalgia — While an exact cause isn’t yet known, this refers to widespread muscle pain and tenderness.
• Neurogenic pain and psychogenic pain — Sometimes, there is no underlying musculoskeletal cause, but because there is dysfunction in the nervous system, or because of mental health issues or your personal history.

There are many pointers for relieving chronic pain, and while many are effective, many people we see in Campbellton, MO tell us that they have tried everything and still can’t find relief. Often, physical therapy becomes their path toward meaningful pain relief and getting back to a pain-free daily life.

How Do Physical Therapists in Campbellton, MO Help With Chronic Pain Treatment?

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of modalities in Campbellton, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter medications, chiropractic adjustments, massage, 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 Campbellton area for a free screening to better understand what might be causing your chronic pain. We’ll get to know you and your pain better. How often do you have pain? 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 form a team with you and your doctor to develop a customized treatment plan aimed at getting you back a comfortable daily life.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by increasing your strength, balance, posture, and range of motion. Collectively improving those aspects of the best possible mobility eases pain and improves your quality of life by allowing your body to work better, and breaking up any signals to your brain that something may be wrong. Depending on you, the nature of your chronic pain, your age, and the activity level you wish to get back to, your treatment plan in Campbellton, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise boosts your body’s production of endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only eases pain but eases related symptoms like stress and depression. A professional Campbellton, MO physical therapist can guide through exercises aimed at improving your mobility without causing further pain or injury. With these exercises, your brain will come to understand that certain movements can be achieved without pain, rebuilding how your brain processes messages. Through guided exercise, we’ll be able to teach you safe exercises you can do on your own.

Manual Therapy and Soft Tissue Mobilization

Manual therapy involves therapeutic touch to encourage your body’s natural healing process and relaxation of muscles and joints. Your Campbellton, 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 similar to manual therapy, except that instead of their hands, physical therapists use specialized tools like Astym®.

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new tool that is becoming more popular among Campbellton, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate inflamed muscles and connective tissue. This eases pain as it stimulates the body’s “healing mode” and stimulates the nutrient-rich blood flow to the affected area.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes where the pain is located. It sends low-level electrical currents to release endorphins and awakens nerve cells that stop your brain from receiving pain messages.

Patient Education

Understanding why you’re experiencing pain and how to deal with it in your daily life can do wonders for your chronic pain treatment in Campbellton, MO. We’ll teach you appropriate posture and movement practices, in addition to healthy lifestyle tips like how to keep a healthy diet.

Other conditions we treat in Campbellton, MO include:

• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Campbellton, MO, we do what we do for simple reasons: to achieve positive client experiences and help people get back to their best life. Whether you miss being able to hit a breakaway layup like you used to, or just want to walk up the stairs without discomfort, speak to a physical therapist in Campbellton, MO today or make an appointment online for meaningful chronic pain treatment.