Chronic Pain Treatment in Femme Osage, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Femme Osage, MO. If you suffer from chronic pain, you know all too well how limiting it can be. For some of us, it goes on so long that we forget how good we used to feel. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably performing daily activities like carrying in groceries, or the activities we love doing the most, whether that be flying down the court or picking up your kids.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of 15 physical therapy and rehabilitation locations committed to helping our Femme Osage, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through personalized and evidence-backed chronic pain treatment. To get back to a pain-free daily life, reach out to our location nearest you or contact us online for successful chronic pain treatment.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that lasts for longer than 12 weeks, which is generally considered to be the “normal” healing period. The pain can occur every day or every few days, can stay in one spot or radiate through your body, and can change in severity from aching to searing, intense pain.

According to the CDC, in 2019 one out of five adults nationwide had chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (or 36.4% of those who experienced chronic pain) had “high-impact” chronic pain, which is pain that occurs on more days than not that 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 affects quality of life and leads to significant economic costs. It can also cause significant mental health issues and trouble sleeping.

What’s Behind Chronic Pain?

Pain, generally speaking, occurs when nerves called nociceptors perceive damage somewhere in your body, and send a signal from that body part to your brain. Often, pain is due to trauma, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs suddenly, usually because of a discernible, root 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. In some cases there may be an injury that hurts despite the fact that, structurally, it has healed . Other times, it’s caused by an illness, or degenerative disease. Sometimes, there is no discernible 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 inflamed or wear down from overuse or overexertion, causing chronic pain in the affected joint.
• Numerous different conditions that lead to lower back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 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 disc injuries that affect the nerves in the spinal column.
• Cancer pain — Tumors can cause pain when they grow and touch 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 psychological stress.

There are many tips for managing chronic pain, and while many can lead to greater comfort, many people we see in Femme Osage, MO tell us that they have tried everything and still can’t find relief. Often, physical therapy becomes their path toward lasting pain relief and getting back to the things that are most important to them.

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

There are many possible options for chronic pain treatment in Femme Osage, MO, including medication, chiropractic care, 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 Axes location in the Femme Osage area for a free screening to learn 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 is limiting you in your daily life? After your screening, we’ll work in tandem with you and your physician to design a tailor-made course of treatment aimed at returning you to the activities you love most.

Physical therapy helps by increasing your strength, balance, posture, and range of motion. Helping you reach the best possible movement health eases pain and enhances your daily life by allowing your body to work 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 your desired activity level, your treatment plan in Femme Osage, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins, your body’s homegrown, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only reduces pain but helps with related symptoms like stress and depression. A professional Femme Osage, MO physical therapist can help you perform exercises that will safely and effectively improve your mobility. With guided exercise, your brain will come to understand that certain movements can be carried out without pain, restoring your brain’s trust in the rest of your body. We’ll also show you light exercises you can do at home.

Manual Therapy and Soft Tissue Mobilization

Manual therapy involves therapeutic touch to promote healing and relaxation of muscles and joints. Your Femme Osage, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely put pressure on soft tissue. Research demonstrates that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is more effective than either technique used alone.

With instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, physical therapists use specially designed tools, like Astym®, instead of their hands, to improve tissue alignment and pinpoint degenerative tissue and soft tissue restrictions.

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new treatment method that is becoming more popular among Femme Osage, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate irritated soft tissue. This eases pain as 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 delivers low-voltage currents, which releases endorphins and stimulates nerve cells that stop your brain from receiving pain signals.

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 Femme Osage, MO. We’ll help you learn the best way to sit, stand, and move, in addition to healthy lifestyle suggestions like diet recommendations.

Other services we offer in Femme Osage, MO include:

• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation
• Pain Management Services
• TMJ Treatment
• Herniated Disc Treatment
• Rotator Cuff Tear Treatment
• Running Injury

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Femme Osage, MO, we do what we do for simple reasons: to achieve positive patient outcomes and help people return to to their best life. Whether you want to be able to run across the tennis court like you used to, or just want to carry the groceries in without discomfort, speak to a physical therapist in Femme Osage, MO today or request an appointment online for meaningful chronic pain treatment.