Chronic Pain Treatment Concord, MO

Chronic Pain Treatment in Concord, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Concord, MO. Anyone who has suffered from chronic pain knows how hard it is to express how much it limits you. Sometimes, the months or years we’ve dealt with it leads us to lose sight of how good we’re capable of feeling. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably performing basic activities like carrying in groceries, or the things we love best, whether that be dominating your local flag football league or working in the garden.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of provider-owned physical therapy treatment centers devoted to helping our Concord, MO patients find meaningful relief through custom-tailored and evidence-backed chronic pain treatment. To get back to the activities you love most, reach out to the location most convenient for you you or contact us online for safe chronic pain treatment.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that lasts for longer than 3-6 months, which is generally considered to be the “normal” healing period. The pain can occur every day or every few days, can be localized 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 American adults had chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (over a third of those with chronic pain) suffered from “high-impact” chronic pain, defined as pain that, on “most days” or “every day,” limits work or life activities. Chronic pain doesn’t just hurt you physically. Chronic pain reduces quality of life and leads to significant economic costs. It can also lead to anxiety, depression, and trouble sleeping.

Why Do People Experience Chronic Pain?

Pain, in general, is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Often, pain is caused by a specific incident or illness. “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 several weeks.

By contrast, people can experience chronic pain for several reasons. In some cases there may be an injury that hurts despite the fact that, structurally, it has healed . In other cases, it’s caused by an illness, or degenerative disease. Sometimes, the pain isn’t caused by a specific condition, but rather from things like poor posture, obesity, or overexertion. 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 inflamed or wear down over time or due to an injury, causing joint pain.
Numerous different conditions that lead to low back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 adults will deal with back pain eventually. Causes can be poor posture or technique, wear and tear at a job that requires physical exertion, sciatica, or a variety of disc injuries.
Cancer pain — Tumors can cause pain when they push up against bones, your spine, or other tissue.
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, 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 managing chronic pain, and while many can help you be more active in your daily life, many of our Concord, MO patients have felt like they tried all of them and more and still can’t find relief. Often, physical therapy becomes their path toward lasting pain relief and getting back to the activities they love.

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

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

There are many possible options for chronic pain treatment in Concord, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter medications, spinal adjustments by a chiropractor, massage, and consistent exercise. Research demonstrates that making physical therapy a part of 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 what might be causing your chronic pain. We’ll get to know you and your pain better. How often do you have pain? Does anything make it better or worse? How does your chronic pain affect you in your daily life? From there, we’ll form a team with you and your physician to develop a customized treatment plan aimed at getting you back a comfortable daily life.

Physical therapy helps by stretching and strengthening your body. Helping you reach optimal movement health relieves pain and enhances your daily life by allowing your body to function better, and disrupting 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 Concord, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise boosts your body’s production of endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good hormone, which not only reduces pain but helps with any depression, stress, and/or anxiety related to your pain. A qualified Concord, MO physical therapist can help you perform exercises aimed at improving your mobility without causing further pain or injury. With guided exercise, your brain will come to understand that certain movements can be achieved without pain, rebuilding 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 promote healing and relaxation of the surrounding tissues. Your Concord, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely manipulate your muscles and joints. Research demonstrates that manual therapy and guided exercise together are better at treating pain than either technique used by itself.

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 treatment method that more and more Concord, MO physical therapists are incorporating into their treatment plans. It involves using thin, filiform needles to gently create small tears or rips in inflamed soft tissue. In doing so, it encourages the body to start to heal itself and stimulates the nutrient-rich blood flow to the region.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes on the skin near where you are experiencing pain. It sends low-voltage electrical currents to release endorphins and awakens nerve cells that block the transmission of pain signals.

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 Concord, MO. We’ll help you learn appropriate posture and movement practices, as well as healthy lifestyle suggestions like how to keep a healthy diet.

Other conditions we treat in Concord, MO include:

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Concord, MO, our goals are clear: to achieve positive client outcomes and help our patients return to to the activities they love. Whether you miss being 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 Concord, MO today or schedule an appointment online for lasting chronic pain treatment.