Chronic Pain Treatment in Howell, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Howell, 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’re capable of feeling. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably completing basic activities like carrying in groceries, 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 therapy treatment centers dedicated to helping our Howell, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through customized and evidence-backed chronic pain treatment. To get back to a pain-free daily life, reach out to our location most convenient for you you or make an appointment for successful chronic pain treatment.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that doesn’t go away after 3-6 months, which is how long it takes most people and conditions to heal. The pain can occur every day or every few days, can stay in one spot or hit different body parts, and can change in severity from dull soreness to stinging pain.

Based on research from the CDC, in 2019 20.4% of American adults suffered from chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (or 36.4% of those who experienced chronic pain) had “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 impacts quality of life and leads to higher medical expenses. It can also lead to anxiety, depression, and trouble sleeping.

What Causes 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. In most cases, pain is due to a specific incident or medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs at once, usually because of a known, root cause such as burns, cuts, broken bones, 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 despite the fact that, structurally, it has healed . In other cases, it’s caused by an illness, or happens as our bodies weaken with age. Sometimes, there is no observable 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 over time or due to an injury, causing chronic pain in the affected joint.
• Numerous different conditions that cause 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, repetitive motions at a physically demanding job, 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 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 rather it’s caused by the nervous system, or because of psychological stress.

You can read our suggestions for easing chronic pain, and while many can help you be more active in your daily life, many of our Howell, MO patients have felt like they tried all of them and more 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 Howell, MO Help With Chronic Pain Treatment?

There are many possible options for chronic pain treatment in Howell, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter medications, spinal adjustments by a chiropractor, massage, and regular exercise. Studies show that making physical therapy a part of your treatment plan is incredibly effective for relieving chronic pain. You are welcome to come to any Axes location in the Howell area 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? What makes it worse? What makes it better? How is limiting you in your daily life? After our evaluation, we’ll work in concert with you and your physician to develop a customized treatment plan aimed at returning you to the activities you love most.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by stretching and strengthening your body. Helping you reach optimal movement health eases pain and improves your quality of life by making your body work better, and breaking up any signals to your brain that something may be wrong. Depending on you, the causes of your chronic pain, your age, and the activity level you wish to get back to, your treatment plan in Howell, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins, your body’s homegrown, feel-good hormone, which not only reduces pain but eases any psychological stress caused by your pain. A qualified Howell, MO physical therapist can lead you through exercises that will safely and effectively improve your mobility. With these exercises, we can re-train your brain to accept certain movements and positions without pain, rebuilding how your brain processes messages. 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 Howell, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely move soft tissue. 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 HawkGrips®, instead of their hands, to smooth out tissue and locate degenerative tissue and soft tissue restrictions.

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new treatment method that is becoming more popular among Howell, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to gently create small tears or rips in damaged muscles and connective tissue. In doing so, it encourages the body to start to heal itself and encourages 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 signals.

Patient Education

Understanding why you’re experiencing pain and how to cope with it can do wonders for your chronic pain treatment in Howell, MO. We’ll teach you appropriate posture and movement practices, in addition to healthy lifestyle suggestions like how to keep a healthy diet.

Other services we offer in Howell, MO include:

• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Howell, MO, our objectives are clear: to achieve positive client outcomes and help our patients get back to their best life. Whether you want to be able to hit a breakaway layup like you used to, or just want to get out of bed in the morning pain-free, speak to a physical therapist in Howell, MO today or request an appointment online for lasting chronic pain treatment.