Chronic Pain Treatment Kimmswick, MO | Physical Therapists Near Kimmswick

Chronic Pain Treatment in Kimmswick, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Kimmswick, MO. If you suffer from chronic pain, you know all too well the debilitating consequences it can have on your life. For some of us, 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 basic activities like doing household chores, or the things we love best, whether that be sprinting down the field or picking up your children.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of 15 physical therapy and rehabilitation locations committed to helping our Kimmswick, MO patients find meaningful relief through personalized chronic pain treatment plans, built on techniques that have been proven to work. If you’re finally ready to move on from chronic pain, reach out to the 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 12 weeks, which is how long it takes most people and conditions to heal. The pain can occur every day or every few days, can be localized or hit different muscles or joints, and can range from dull soreness to searing, intense pain.

Based on research from the CDC, in 2019 almost a quarter of American adults suffered from chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (or 36.4% of those with chronic pain) suffered from “high-impact” chronic pain, which is pain that occurs on more days than not that affects how somebody can work or perform other activities. Chronic pain doesn’t just hurt you physically. Chronic pain affects quality of life and leads to higher medical expenses. It can also cause significant mental health issues and trouble sleeping.

What’s Behind Chronic Pain?

Pain, in general, is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. In most cases, pain is due to an injury, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs immediately, usually because of a discernible, underlying cause such as burns, cuts, broken bones, dental work, or surgery. It can last for anywhere from a few minutes to several weeks.

By contrast, the causes of chronic pain aren’t always easily identifiable. Sometimes an injury continues to cause pain after the tissue is repaired . In other cases, it’s caused by an illness, or occurs as our bodies weaken with 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, 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 cause lower back pain — Up to 84% of adults suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Causes can be poor posture or technique, wear and tear at a job that requires physical exertion, sciatica, or a variety of disc injuries.
Cancer pain — Tumors can lead to pain when they bother tissue, nerves, or organs.
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 dysfunction in the nervous system, or because of depression, anxiety, and/or stress.

You can check out our tips for relieving chronic pain, and while many are effective, many people we see in Kimmswick, MO 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 the things that are most important to them.

Chronic Pain Treatment Kimmswick, MO | Pain Management | Physical Therapist Near Kimmswick

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

There are many possible options for chronic pain treatment in Kimmswick, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter drugs, spinal adjustments by a chiropractor, yoga, and regular exercise. Studies show that making physical therapy a part of your treatment plan can lead to significant improvement. You can visit any of our 15 locations for a free screening to better understand why you might be suffering from 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 tandem with you and your physician to design a personalized treatment plan aimed at returning you to the activities you love most.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by increasing your strength, balance, posture, and range of motion. Helping you reach optimal movement health eases pain and enhances your daily life by making your body function better, and interrupting certain nerves 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 Kimmswick, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise boosts your body’s production of endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only alleviates pain but helps with any psychological stress related to your pain. A licensed Kimmswick, MO physical therapist will 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 performed without pain, restoring 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 muscles and joints. Your Kimmswick, MO physical therapist will use their hands to gently manipulate soft tissue. Research demonstrates that manual therapy and guided exercise together are better at treating pain than either treatment method used alone.

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization is similar to manual therapy, except that instead of their hands, physical therapists use specialized tools like Astym®.

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new treatment method that increasingly more Kimmswick, MO physical therapists are incorporating into their treatment plans. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate irritated muscles and connective tissue. In doing so, it stimulates the body’s “healing mode” and stimulates the flow of nutrients to the affected area.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes where the pain is located. It sends low-voltage electrical currents to release endorphins and awakens nerve cells that block the transmission of pain messages.

Patient Education

Understanding why you’re experiencing pain and how to cope with it can do wonders for your chronic pain treatment in Kimmswick, MO. We’ll help you learn the best way to sit, stand, and move, as well as healthy lifestyle suggestions like diet recommendations.

Other services we offer in Kimmswick, MO include:

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Kimmswick, MO, our objectives are simple: to deliver positive patient outcomes and help people return to to their best life. Whether you want to be able to hit a breakaway layup like you used to, or just want to carry the groceries in pain-free, speak to a physical therapist in Kimmswick, MO today or request an appointment online for meaningful chronic pain treatment.