Chronic Pain Treatment Chain of Rocks, MO

Chronic Pain Treatment in Chain of Rocks, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Chain of Rocks, MO. Anyone who has lived with chronic pain knows how limiting it can be. For some of us, the months or years we’ve dealt with it leads us to lose sight of how good we used to feel. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably performing basic tasks like walking up the stairs, or the activities we love best, whether that be dominating your local pick-up league or painting bowls of fruit.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of provider-owned physical and occupational therapy locations devoted to helping our Chain of Rocks, MO patients find lasting relief through customized chronic pain treatment plans, built on techniques that have been proven to work. To get back to a pain-free daily life, reach out to the location nearest you or schedule an appointment for effective 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 generally considered to be the “normal” healing period. The pain can be constant or can come and go, can be localized or radiate through your body, and can range from aching to agonizing pain.

According to the CDC, in 2019 20.4% of adults nationwide dealt with chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (or 36.4% of those with chronic pain) had “high-impact” chronic pain, defined as pain that, on “most days” or “every day,” affects how somebody can work or perform other activities. Chronic pain doesn’t just hurt you physically. Chronic pain affects quality of life and leads to significant economic costs. It can also cause significant mental health issues and insomnia.

Why Do I Have Chronic Pain?

Pain, in general, occurs when nerves called nociceptors detect damaged tissue, and send a signal from that body part to your brain. In most cases, pain is caused by an injury, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs at once, usually because of a known, root cause such as falling, dental work, or surgery. It can last for anywhere from a moment 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 after the tissue is repaired . Other times, it’s caused by an illness, or happens as our bodies weaken with age. Sometimes, there is no observable cause for someone’s chronic pain. Common types and causes of chronic pain include:

Arthritis and other conditions that cause joint pain — The soft tissue in our joints can become damaged or wear down over time or due to an injury, causing joint pain.
Numerous different conditions that lead to low back pain — Up to 84% of adults suffer from back pain eventually. Causes can be poor posture or technique, wear and tear at a physically demanding job, sciatica, or a variety of disc injuries.
Cancer pain — Tumors can lead to pain when they grow and touch tissue, nerves, or organs.
Fibromyalgia — While experts are still trying to understand the exact cause of fibromyalgia, this refers to pain that affects your muscles and joints throughout your body.
Neurogenic pain and psychogenic pain — In some cases, pain does not occur for a physical reason, but because there is dysfunction in the nervous system, or because of psychological stress.

There are many pointers for managing chronic pain, and while many can help you be more active in your daily life, many people we see in Chain of Rocks, MO have felt like they tried all of them and more and still can’t feel better. Often, physical therapy is the treatment that finally gets them relief and returns them to the activities they love.

Chronic Pain Treatment Chain of Rocks, MO | Pain Management | Physical Therapist Near Chain of Rocks

Why Is Physical Therapy in Chain of Rocks, MO a Great Option For Chronic Pain Treatment?

There are many possible options for chronic pain treatment in Chain of Rocks, MO, including medication, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and regular exercise. Research demonstrates that incorporating physical therapy into your treatment plan can lead to considerable improvement. You are welcome to come to any of our 15 locations for a free screening to learn why you might be experiencing 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 is limiting you in your daily life? After our evaluation, we’ll form a team with you and your doctor to come up with a personalized course of treatment aimed at getting you back a comfortable daily life.

Physical therapy helps by increasing your strength, balance, posture, and flexibility. Helping you achieve the best possible mobility eases pain and enhances your daily life by allowing your body to function better, and breaking up any signals to your brain that something may be wrong. Depending on you, the causes of your chronic pain, your age, and your desired activity level, your treatment plan in Chain of Rocks, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise increases endorphins, your body’s homegrown, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only alleviates pain but helps with any psychological stress related to your pain. A qualified Chain of Rocks, MO physical therapist can guide through exercises aimed at improving your mobility without causing further pain or injury. With these exercises, we can re-train your brain to accept certain movements and positions without pain, restoring your brain’s trust in the rest of your body. 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 Chain of Rocks, MO physical therapist will use their hands to gently put pressure on your muscles and joints. Research demonstrates 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 Graston®.

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new technique that is becoming more popular among Chain of Rocks, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to gently create small tears or rips in inflamed muscles, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. In doing so, it stimulates the body’s “healing mode” and stimulates the nutrient-rich blood flow to the region.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes over the body part that’s causing you pain. It sends low-voltage electrical currents to release endorphins and stimulates nerve cells that block the transmission of pain messages.

Patient Education

Understanding the cause of your pain and how to deal with it in your daily life can do wonders for your chronic pain treatment in Chain of Rocks, MO. We’ll help you learn the best way to sit, stand, and move, as well as healthy lifestyle suggestions like how to keep a healthy diet.

Other conditions we treat in Chain of Rocks, MO include:

Chronic Pain Treatment Chain of Rocks, MO | Physical Therapy | Pain Management Near Chain of Rocks

Call Axes Physical Therapy For Your Chronic Pain Treatment in Chain of Rocks, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy in Chain of Rocks, MO, our goals are clear: to achieve positive patient outcomes and help people get back to the activities they love. Whether you want to be able to hit a breakaway layup like you used to, or just want to carry the groceries in without discomfort, speak to a physical therapist in Chain of Rocks, MO today or request an appointment online for meaningful chronic pain treatment.