Chronic Pain Treatment Herculaneum, MO | Physical Therapists Near Herculaneum

Chronic Pain Treatment in Herculaneum, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Herculaneum, MO. Anyone who has suffered from chronic pain knows how limiting it can be. For some of us, it goes on so long that we lose sight of how good we used to feel. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably performing daily activities like walking up the stairs, or the activities we love doing the most, whether that be flying down the field or painting bowls of fruit.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of 15 physical and occupational therapy centers committed to helping our Herculaneum, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through custom-tailored chronic pain treatment plans, built on techniques that have been proven to work. If you’re finally ready to move on from chronic pain, reach out to our location nearest you or request an appointment for successful chronic pain treatment.

What Type of Pain is Considered “Chronic”?

Chronic pain is pain that doesn’t go away after three months, which is how long it typically takes pain to go away after an injury, surgery, or illness. The pain can be constant or can come and go, can be localized or hit different body parts, and can be anything from dull soreness to burning pain.

According to the CDC, in 2019 one out of five American adults had chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (over a third of those who experienced 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.

What Causes Chronic Pain?

Pain, generally speaking, occurs when nerves called nociceptors detect damage somewhere in your body, and send a signal through your spinal cord up to your brain. Often, pain is caused by a specific incident or medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs at once, usually because of a known, underlying cause such as an injury, dental work, or surgery. It can last for anywhere from a moment 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 after the tissue is repaired . Other times, 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 chronic pain in the affected joint.
A variety of conditions that lead to lower back pain — Up to 84% of adults suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Causes can be poor posture or technique, wear and tear at work, sciatica, or disc injuries that impinge on the nerves in the spinal column.
Cancer pain — Tumors can cause pain when they bother tissue, nerves, or organs.
Fibromyalgia — While an exact cause isn’t yet known, this refers to widespread muscle pain and tenderness.
Neurogenic pain and psychogenic pain — Sometimes, there is no underlying musculoskeletal cause, but because there is an issue in the nervous system, or because of depression, anxiety, and/or stress.

There are many suggestions for relieving chronic pain, and while many can help you be more active in your daily life, many of our Herculaneum, MO patients tell us that they have tried everything and still can’t find relief. Often, physical therapy becomes their path toward meaningful pain relief and getting back to the things that are most important to them.

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

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

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of means in Herculaneum, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter drugs, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and regular exercise. Studies show that making physical therapy a part of your treatment plan can lead to considerable improvement. You can come to any Axes location in the Herculaneum area for a free screening to better understand what might be causing your chronic pain. We’ll get to know you and your pain better. Do you experience pain every day? Most days? 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 design a customized course of treatment aimed at returning you to the things you love most.

Physical therapy helps by stretching and strengthening your body. Collectively improving those aspects of the best possible 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 Herculaneum, 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 psychological stress related to your pain. A licensed Herculaneum, MO physical therapist can help you perform exercises aimed at improving your mobility without causing further pain or injury. With these exercises, your brain will come to understand that certain movements can be performed 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 Herculaneum, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely move 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 specially designed 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 technique that more and more Herculaneum, 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. This eases pain as it stimulates the body’s “healing mode” and encourages the flow of blood to the region.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes over the body part that’s causing you pain. It delivers low-voltage currents, which releases endorphins and stimulates nerve cells that stop your brain from receiving 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 Herculaneum, MO. We’ll teach you the best way to sit, stand, and move, in addition to healthy lifestyle suggestions like how to keep a healthy diet.

Other conditions we treat in Herculaneum, MO include:

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Herculaneum, MO, our objectives are clear: to deliver positive patient experiences and help people return to to their best life. Whether you want to be able to hit a breakaway layup like you used to, or just want to walk up the stairs without discomfort, speak to a physical therapist in Herculaneum, MO today or schedule an appointment online for lasting chronic pain treatment.