Chronic Pain Treatment in Dardenne Prairie, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Dardenne Prairie, MO. If you suffer from chronic pain, you know all too well the debilitating effect it can have on your life. Sometimes, the months or years we’ve dealt with it leads us to forget how good we’re capable of feeling. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably completing daily tasks like walking up the stairs, or the activities we love best, whether that be sprinting down the court or working in the garden.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of provider-owned physical therapy and rehabilitation centers committed to helping our Dardenne Prairie, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through personalized and evidence-backed chronic pain treatment. To get back to a pain-free daily life, call our location most convenient for you you or contact us online for safe chronic pain treatment.

What Type of Pain is Considered “Chronic”?

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 be constant or can come and go, can be localized or radiate through your body, and can range from dull soreness to burning pain.

According to the CDC, in 2019 one out of five adults nationwide dealt with chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (or 36.4% of those who experienced chronic pain) had “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 impacts quality of life and leads to significant economic costs. It can also lead to anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Why Do I Have Chronic Pain?

Pain, in general, is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. In most cases, pain is due to a specific incident or medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs at once, usually because of a discernible, underlying cause such as stubbing your toe, 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. Sometimes an injury continues to cause pain even after it’s healed . Other times, it’s caused by a medical condition, or degenerative disease. Sometimes, there is no perceptible 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 damaged or wear down over time or due to an injury, causing chronic pain in the affected joint.
• Numerous different conditions that cause low back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 adults will deal with back pain eventually. Causes can be poor posture or technique, repetitive motions at a physically demanding job, sciatica, or a variety of disc injuries.
• Cancer pain — Tumors can cause pain when they push up against other parts inside your body.
• 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 an issue in the nervous system, or because of depression, anxiety, and/or stress.

You can check out our tips for easing chronic pain, and while many can lead to greater comfort, many of our Dardenne Prairie, MO patients tell us that they have 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.

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

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of means in Dardenne Prairie, MO, including medication, chiropractic care, yoga, and regular exercise. Studies show that including physical therapy into your treatment plan is incredibly effective for relieving chronic pain. You can visit any of our 15 locations for a free screening to better understand why you might be suffering from chronic pain. We’ll get to know you and your pain better. How often do you have pain? What makes it worse? What makes it better? How does your chronic pain affect you in your daily life? After your screening, we’ll form a team with you and your physician to develop a tailor-made treatment plan aimed at getting you back to the things you love most.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by stretching and strengthening your body. Helping you reach optimal mobility relieves pain and improves your quality of life by allowing your body to function better, and interrupting certain body parts from sending pain messages to your brain. Depending on you, the causes of your chronic pain, how old you are, and your desired activity level, your treatment plan in Dardenne Prairie, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise boosts your body’s production of endorphins, your body’s homegrown, feel-good hormone, which not only reduces pain but helps with any depression, stress, and/or anxiety related to your pain. A qualified Dardenne Prairie, MO physical therapist will lead you through exercises aimed at improving your mobility without causing more pain or injury. With guided exercise, we can re-train your brain to accept certain movements and positions 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 incorporates therapeutic touch to promote healing and relaxation of muscles and joints. Your Dardenne Prairie, MO physical therapist will use their hands to gently manipulate your muscles and joints. Studies have shown that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is more effective than either treatment method used by itself.

With instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, physical therapists use specialized tools, like Graston®, instead of their hands, to smooth out tissue and pinpoint degenerative tissue and soft tissue restrictions.

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new tool that is becoming more popular among Dardenne Prairie, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate irritated 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 body part.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes on the skin near where you are experiencing pain. It delivers low-voltage currents, which releases endorphins and awakens nerve cells that block the transmission of pain messages.

Patient Education

Understanding why you’re experiencing pain and how to cope with it can have a significant positive effect on your chronic pain treatment in Dardenne Prairie, MO. We’ll teach you appropriate posture and movement techniques, in addition to healthy lifestyle tips like how to keep a healthy diet.

Other conditions we treat in Dardenne Prairie, MO include:

• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation
• Pain Management Services
• TMJ Treatment
• Herniated Disc Treatment

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Dardenne Prairie, MO, we do what we do for simple reasons: to deliver positive client experiences and help people return to to the activities they love. Whether you miss being able to run across the pickleball court like you used to, or just want to get out of bed in the morning pain-free, speak to a physical therapist in Dardenne Prairie, MO today or make an appointment online for lasting chronic pain treatment.