Chronic Pain Treatment in Hopewell, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Hopewell, MO. Anyone who has suffered from chronic pain knows how hard it is to express the effects it has on your daily 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 performing basic tasks like walking up the stairs, or the activities we love most, whether that be flying down the court or working in the garden.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of 15 physical and occupational therapy locations dedicated to helping our Hopewell, MO patients find meaningful relief through customized and evidence-backed chronic pain treatment. If you’re finally ready to move on from chronic pain, call the location nearest you or make an appointment 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 occur every day or every few days, can be localized or radiate through your body, and can change in severity from dull soreness to burning pain.

Based on research from the CDC, in 2019 almost a quarter of adults nationwide 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,” affects how somebody can work or enjoy other activities. Chronic pain doesn’t just hurt you physically. Chronic pain impacts quality of life and leads to significant economic costs. It can also cause significant mental health issues and insomnia.

Why Do People Experience Chronic Pain?

Pain, generally speaking, occurs when nerves called nociceptors perceive 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 immediately, usually because of a discernible, underlying cause such as stubbing your toe, dental work, or surgery. The pain lasts for anywhere from a moment to several weeks.

By contrast, the causes of chronic pain aren’t always easily known. In some cases there may be an injury that hurts after the tissue is repaired . Other times, it’s caused by an illness, or happens as our bodies wear down as we age. 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 and other diseases that cause joint pain — The soft tissue 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 low back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 adults suffer from 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 impinge on the nerves in the spinal column.
• Cancer pain — Tumors can lead to pain when they bother bones, your spine, or other tissue.
• Fibromyalgia — While an exact cause isn’t yet known, this refers to widespread muscle pain and tenderness.
• Neurogenic pain and psychogenic pain — Sometimes, pain does not occur for a physical reason, but because there is an issue in the nervous system, or because of depression, anxiety, and/or stress.

There are many tips for relieving chronic pain, and while many can lead to greater comfort, many of our Hopewell, 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 a pain-free daily life.

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

There are many possible options for chronic pain treatment in Hopewell, MO, including medication, chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, and regular exercise. Research demonstrates that including physical therapy into your treatment plan is incredibly effective for relieving chronic pain. You are welcome to come to any of our 15 locations for a free screening to learn 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? 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 work in concert with you and your doctor to develop a personalized treatment plan aimed at returning you a comfortable daily life.

Physical therapy helps by stretching and strengthening your body. Helping you achieve optimal mobility relieves pain and enhances your daily life by allowing your body to function better, and breaking up any signals to your brain that something may be wrong. Depending on you, the causes of your chronic pain, how old you are, and the activity level you wish to get back to, your treatment plan in Hopewell, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise boosts your body’s production of endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only eases pain but eases any depression, stress, and/or anxiety related to your pain. A professional Hopewell, 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 incorporates therapeutic touch to encourage your body’s natural healing process and relaxation of the surrounding tissues. Your Hopewell, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely manipulate soft tissue. Research demonstrates that manual therapy and guided exercise together are more effective 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 HawkGrips®.

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new technique that is becoming more popular among Hopewell, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate inflamed muscles and connective tissue. This eases pain as it encourages the body to start to heal itself and stimulates the flow of blood to the region.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes where the pain is located. It delivers low-voltage currents, which releases endorphins and awakens nerve cells that prevent your brain from receiving pain messages.

Patient Education

Understanding the cause of your pain and how to deal with it in your daily life can have a significant positive effect on your chronic pain treatment in Hopewell, MO. We’ll teach you the best way to sit, stand, and move, in addition to healthy lifestyle tips like diet recommendations.

Other services we offer in Hopewell, MO include:

• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• 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 Hopewell, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy in Hopewell, MO, our objectives are clear: to deliver positive client outcomes and help our patients get back to their best life. Whether you miss being able to run across the tennis court like you used to, or just want to walk up the stairs pain-free, speak to a physical therapist in Hopewell, MO today or request an appointment online for meaningful chronic pain treatment.