Chronic Pain Treatment in Imperial, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Imperial, MO. If you suffer from chronic pain, you know all too well the debilitating effect it can have on your life. For some of us, it goes on so long that we lose sight of what it feels like to live a pain-free life. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably completing daily activities like walking up the stairs, or the things we love best, whether that be dominating your local pickleball league or working in the garden.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of provider-owned physical therapy treatment locations devoted to helping our Imperial, MO patients find lasting relief through custom-tailored and evidence-backed chronic pain treatment. If you’re finally ready to move on from chronic pain, reach out to the location most convenient for you you or contact us online for safe chronic pain treatment.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that lasts for longer than 12 weeks, which is how long it typically takes pain to go away after an injury, surgery, or illness. The pain can occur every day or every few days, can be localized or hit different body parts, and can change in severity from dull soreness to agonizing pain.

According to the CDC, in 2019 almost a quarter of adults nationwide had chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (over a third of those with 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 affects 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, in general, 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 trauma, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs suddenly, usually because of a known, underlying cause such as falling, dental work, or surgery. It can last for anywhere from a moment to several weeks.

By contrast, people can experience chronic pain for several reasons. In some cases there may be an injury that hurts even after it’s healed . In other cases, it’s caused by an illness, or occurs 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 damaged or wear down from overuse or overexertion, causing chronic pain in the affected joint.
• A variety of conditions that cause low back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 adults suffer from back pain eventually. Causes can be poor posture or technique, wear and tear at work, sciatica, or disc injuries that affect the nerves in the spinal column.
• Cancer pain — Tumors can lead to pain when they bother bones, your spine, or other tissue.
• 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 — Sometimes, there is no underlying musculoskeletal cause, but rather it’s caused by the nervous system, or because of psychological stress.

You can check out our suggestions for relieving chronic pain, and while many are effective, many people we see in Imperial, MO tell us that they have tried all of them and more and still can’t find relief. Often, physical therapy becomes their path toward lasting pain relief and getting back to the activities they love.

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

There are many possible options for chronic pain treatment in Imperial, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter medications, chiropractic care, yoga, and consistent exercise. Studies show that making physical therapy a part of your treatment plan can lead to significant improvement. You are welcome to come to any Axes location in the Imperial area for a free screening to better understand why you might be experiencing chronic pain. We’ll get to know you and your pain better. How often do you have pain? Does anything make it better or worse? How does your chronic pain affect you in your daily life? After our evaluation, we’ll work in tandem with you and your doctor to develop a tailor-made course of treatment aimed at returning you a comfortable daily life.

Physical therapy helps by increasing your strength, balance, posture, and range of motion. Helping you achieve optimal movement health relieves pain and improves your quality of life by allowing your body to work better, and disrupting certain body parts from sending pain messages to your brain. Depending on you, the nature of your chronic pain, how old you are, and the activity level you wish to get back to, your treatment plan in Imperial, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins, your body’s homegrown, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only alleviates pain but eases related symptoms like stress and depression. A licensed Imperial, MO physical therapist can guide through exercises that will safely and effectively improve your mobility. With guided exercise, we can re-train your brain to accept certain movements and positions without pain, restoring how your brain processes messages. 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 muscles and joints. Your Imperial, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely put pressure on soft tissue. Studies have shown that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is better at treating pain than either technique used by itself.

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

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new technique that more and more Imperial, MO physical therapists are incorporating into their treatment plans. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate damaged muscles, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. This eases pain as 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 block the transmission of pain signals.

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 Imperial, MO. We’ll teach you appropriate posture and movement techniques, in addition to healthy lifestyle suggestions like diet recommendations.

Other services we offer in Imperial, MO include:

• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Imperial, MO, we do what we do for simple reasons: to deliver positive patient experiences and help people return to to the things they love doing most. Whether you miss being able to hit a breakaway layup like you used to, or just want to walk up the stairs pain-free, speak to a physical therapist in Imperial, MO today or schedule an appointment online for lasting chronic pain treatment.