Chronic Pain Treatment Jefferson Barracks, MO

Chronic Pain Treatment in Jefferson Barracks, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Jefferson Barracks, MO. Anyone who has had to deal with chronic pain knows the debilitating consequences it can have on your life. Sometimes, it goes on so long that we forget how good we used to feel. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably completing daily activities like doing household chores, or the things we love doing the most, whether that be sprinting down the court or working in the garden.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of provider-owned physical therapy treatment centers devoted to helping our Jefferson Barracks, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through customized and evidence-backed chronic pain treatment. If you’re finally ready to move on from chronic pain, reach out to our location most convenient for you you or make an appointment for safe 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 be constant or can come and go, can stay in one spot or hit different body parts, and can be anything from dull soreness to burning pain.

Based on research from the CDC, in 2019 almost a quarter of U.S. adults suffered from chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (over a third of those with chronic pain) suffered from “high-impact” chronic pain, defined as pain that, on “most days” or “every day,” limits work or life activities. Anyone who suffers from pain frequently will tell you that it causes far more than just physical discomfort. Chronic pain reduces quality of life and leads to significant economic costs. It can also cause significant mental health issues and insomnia.

Why Do I Have Chronic Pain?

Pain, generally speaking, occurs when nerves called nociceptors detect damage somewhere in your body, and send a signal from that body part to your brain. Often, pain is caused by trauma, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs suddenly, usually because of a discernible, underlying cause such as stubbing your toe, dental work, or surgery. It can last for anywhere from a few minutes 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 . Other times, it’s caused by an illness, 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 cartilage, tendons, and ligaments in our joints can become damaged or wear down from overuse or overexertion, causing joint pain.
Numerous different conditions that cause lower back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 adults will deal with 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 grow and touch 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 — In some cases, pain does not occur for a physical reason, but rather it’s caused by the nervous system, or because of depression, anxiety, and/or stress.

You can read our pointers for easing chronic pain, and while many are effective, many of our Jefferson Barracks, MO patients tell us that they have tried everything and still can’t feel better. Often, physical therapy is the strategy that finally gets them relief and returns them to the activities they love.

Chronic Pain Treatment Jefferson Barracks, MO | Pain Management | Physical Therapist Near Jefferson Barracks

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

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of means in Jefferson Barracks, MO, including medication, chiropractic adjustments, yoga, and consistent exercise. Research demonstrates that making physical therapy a part of your treatment plan is incredibly effective for relieving chronic pain. You can visit any Axes location in the Jefferson Barracks area for a free screening to better understand why you might be experiencing 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 is limiting you in your daily life? After our evaluation, we’ll work in tandem with you and your physician to come up with a personalized treatment plan aimed at getting you back a comfortable daily life.

Physical therapy helps by increasing your strength, balance, posture, and flexibility. Helping you reach optimal movement health relieves pain and improves your quality of life by making your body function better, and breaking up certain body parts from sending pain messages to your brain. Depending on you, the nature of your chronic pain, how old you are, and your desired activity level, your treatment plan in Jefferson Barracks, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise boosts your body’s production of endorphins, your body’s homegrown, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only reduces pain but helps with related symptoms like stress and depression. A qualified Jefferson Barracks, MO physical therapist will guide 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 incorporates therapeutic touch to encourage your body’s natural healing process and relaxation of the surrounding tissues. Your Jefferson Barracks, MO physical therapist will use their hands to gently put pressure on soft tissue. Research demonstrates that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is better at treating pain than either technique used alone.

With instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, physical therapists use specially designed tools, like HawkGrips®, 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 tool that is becoming more popular among Jefferson Barracks, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate irritated 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 on the skin near where you are experiencing pain. It delivers low-voltage currents, which releases endorphins and stimulates nerve cells that block the transmission of pain signals.

Patient Education

Understanding the cause of your pain and how to cope with it can do wonders for your chronic pain treatment in Jefferson Barracks, MO. We’ll help you learn appropriate posture and movement practices, as well as healthy lifestyle suggestions like diet recommendations.

Other conditions we treat in Jefferson Barracks, MO include:

Chronic Pain Treatment Jefferson Barracks, MO | Physical Therapy | Pain Management Near Jefferson Barracks

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Jefferson Barracks, MO, our objectives are clear: to achieve positive client experiences and help people return to to the things they love doing most. Whether you want to be able to run across the pickleball court like you used to, or just want to walk up the stairs pain-free, speak to a physical therapist in Jefferson Barracks, MO today or schedule an appointment online for lasting chronic pain treatment.