Chronic Pain Treatment Hillsboro, MO

Chronic Pain Treatment in Hillsboro, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Hillsboro, MO. If you suffer from chronic pain, you know all too well how limiting it can be. 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 completing basic activities like doing household chores, or the things we love best, whether that be dominating your local softball league or being able to properly look after your children.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of provider-owned physical and occupational therapy locations dedicated to helping our Hillsboro, MO patients find lasting relief through customized and evidence-backed chronic pain treatment. If you’re finally ready to move on from chronic pain, call our location nearest you or make an appointment for successful 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 be constant or can come and go, can be localized or hit different muscles or joints, and can range from stiffness to stinging pain.

Based on research from the CDC, in 2019 20.4% of 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 affects how somebody can work or enjoy other activities. Anyone who suffers from frequent pain symptoms will tell you that it causes far more than just physical discomfort. Chronic pain impacts quality of life and leads to significant economic costs. It can also cause significant mental health issues and trouble sleeping.

Why Do I Have 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. In most cases, pain is caused by an injury, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs suddenly, usually because of a known, root cause such as burns, cuts, broken bones, 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 despite the fact that, structurally, it has healed . Other times, it’s caused by a medical condition, 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, bursitis, tendinitis, and other conditions that cause joint pain — The soft tissue in our joints can become inflamed or wear down from overuse or overexertion, causing chronic pain in the affected joint.
A variety of conditions that lead to lower back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 adults suffer from back pain eventually. Causes can be poor posture or technique, repetitive motions at a job that requires physical exertion, sciatica, or disc injuries that impinge on the nerves in the spinal column.
Cancer pain — Tumors can lead to 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 you feel in your muscles all over your body.
Neurogenic pain and psychogenic pain — In some cases, pain does not occur for a physical reason, but because there is dysfunction in the nervous system, or because of mental health issues or your personal history.

You can read our suggestions for easing chronic pain, and while many are effective, many of our Hillsboro, 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 Hillsboro, MO | Pain Management | Physical Therapist Near Hillsboro

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

There are many possible options for chronic pain treatment in Hillsboro, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter drugs, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and regular exercise. Research demonstrates that including physical therapy into your treatment plan can lead to considerable improvement. You are welcome to come to 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? 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 returning you a comfortable daily life.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by increasing your strength, balance, posture, and range of motion. Collectively improving those aspects of optimal movement health eases pain and enhances your daily life by making your body 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 your desired activity level, your treatment plan in Hillsboro, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise increases endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only alleviates pain but eases any psychological stress you feel because of your pain. A qualified Hillsboro, MO physical therapist will guide through 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, rebuilding how your brain processes messages. We’ll also show you light exercises you can do outside of our sessions.

Manual Therapy and Soft Tissue Mobilization

Manual therapy incorporates therapeutic touch to promote healing and relaxation of the surrounding tissues. Your Hillsboro, MO physical therapist will use their hands to gently put pressure on your muscles and joints. Research demonstrates that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is better at treating pain than either technique 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 treatment method that is becoming more popular among Hillsboro, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to gently create small tears or rips in inflamed soft tissue. In doing so, it stimulates the body’s “healing mode” and encourages the flow of blood 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 stimulates nerve cells that stop your brain from receiving pain signals.

Patient Education

Understanding the cause of your pain and how to cope with it can have a considerable positive effect on your chronic pain treatment in Hillsboro, MO. We’ll help you learn appropriate posture and movement practices, in addition to healthy lifestyle suggestions like diet recommendations.

Other services we offer in Hillsboro, MO include:

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Hillsboro, MO, our objectives are simple: to deliver positive client outcomes and help people get back to their best life. Whether you miss being 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 Hillsboro, MO today or schedule an appointment online for lasting chronic pain treatment.