Chronic Pain Treatment Farmington, MO

Chronic Pain Treatment in Farmington, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Farmington, MO. If you suffer from chronic pain, you know all too well how hard it is to express how much it limits you. Sometimes, it goes on so long that we lose sight of how good we’re capable of feeling. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably performing daily activities like carrying in groceries, or the activities we love best, whether that be flying down the field or painting bowls of fruit.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of 15 physical and occupational therapy locations dedicated to helping our Farmington, MO patients find lasting relief through personalized chronic pain treatment plans, based on techniques that have been proven to work. If you’re finally ready to move on from chronic pain, reach out to the location nearest you or contact us online for effective chronic pain treatment.

What Type of Pain is Considered “Chronic”?

Chronic pain is pain that doesn’t go away after 12 weeks, 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 be anything from dull soreness to burning pain.

According to the CDC, in 2019 one out of five American adults suffered from chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (or 36.4% of those with chronic pain) suffered from “high-impact” chronic pain, which is persistent pain limits work or life activities. Anyone who suffers from frequent pain symptoms will tell you that it causes far more than just physical discomfort. Chronic pain reduces quality of life and leads to higher medical expenses. It can also lead to anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

What Causes 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 due to trauma, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs at once, usually because of a discernible, underlying cause such as an injury, dental work, or surgery. The pain lasts for anywhere from a few minutes to several weeks.

By contrast, the causes of chronic pain aren’t always easily identifiable. 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 a medical condition, or happens as our bodies weaken with age. Sometimes, there is no discernible 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 joint pain.
Numerous different conditions that lead to low back pain — Up to 84% of 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 a variety of disc injuries.
Cancer pain — Tumors can lead to pain when they bother bones, your spine, or other tissue.
Fibromyalgia — While experts are still trying to understand the exact cause of fibromyalgia, this refers to pain you feel in your muscles all over your body.
Neurogenic pain and psychogenic pain — Sometimes, there is no underlying musculoskeletal cause, but rather it’s caused by the nervous system, or because of psychological stress.

There are many pointers for easing chronic pain, and while many can help you be more active in your daily life, many of our Farmington, MO patients tell us that they have tried everything and still can’t feel better. Often, physical therapy becomes their path toward lasting pain relief and getting back to a pain-free daily life.

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

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

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of modalities in Farmington, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter medications, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and consistent exercise. Studies show that including physical therapy into your treatment plan can lead to considerable improvement. You are welcome to visit any of our 15 locations for a free screening to better understand what might be causing your chronic pain. We’ll ask you questions to better understand how we can help you. 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? After our evaluation, we’ll form a team with you and your doctor to design a customized treatment plan aimed at returning you a comfortable daily life.

Physical therapy helps by increasing your strength, balance, posture, and range of motion. Collectively improving those aspects of the best possible mobility eases pain and enhances your daily life by allowing your body to function better, and breaking up 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 Farmington, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise increases endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only reduces pain but helps with any depression, stress, and/or anxiety caused by your pain. A licensed Farmington, MO physical therapist will lead you through 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, restoring how your brain processes messages. We’ll also show you light exercises you can do at home.

Manual Therapy and Soft Tissue Mobilization

Manual therapy incorporates therapeutic touch to promote healing and relaxation of the surrounding tissues. Your Farmington, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely move soft tissue. Studies have shown that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is better at treating pain than either treatment method 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 tool that is becoming more popular among Farmington, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate irritated soft tissue. In doing so, it stimulates the body’s “healing mode” and encourages 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 sends low-level electrical currents to release endorphins and awakens nerve cells that stop your brain from receiving pain signals.

Patient Education

Understanding why you’re experiencing pain and how to cope with it can have a considerable positive effect on your chronic pain treatment in Farmington, MO. We’ll help you learn appropriate posture and movement techniques, as well as healthy lifestyle suggestions like diet recommendations.

Other services we offer in Farmington, MO include:

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Farmington, MO, we do what we do for simple reasons: to achieve positive client outcomes and help our patients get back to the things they love doing most. Whether you want to be able to run across the pickleball court like you used to, or just want to get out of bed in the morning without discomfort, speak to a physical therapist in Farmington, MO today or make an appointment online for meaningful chronic pain treatment.