Chronic Pain Treatment in Kimmswick, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Kimmswick, MO. Anyone who has lived with chronic pain knows how hard it is to express how much it limits you. For some of us, it goes on so long that we forget what it feels like to live a pain-free life. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably performing basic activities like doing household chores, or the activities we love doing the most, whether that be sprinting down the field or painting bowls of fruit.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of 15 physical and occupational therapy locations devoted to helping our Kimmswick, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through custom-tailored and evidence-backed chronic pain treatment. To get back to the activities you love most, call our location nearest you or contact us online for effective chronic pain treatment.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that lasts for longer than 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 hit different body parts, and can range from stiffness to burning pain.

Based on research from the CDC, in 2019 20.4% of adults nationwide dealt with 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,” affects how somebody can work or enjoy other activities. Anyone who suffers from pain frequently will tell you that it causes far more than just physical discomfort. Chronic pain impacts quality of life and leads to higher medical expenses. It can also cause significant mental health issues and trouble sleeping.

Why Do I Have Chronic Pain?

Pain, generally speaking, is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. In most cases, pain is caused by a specific incident or medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs suddenly, usually because of a known, 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. Sometimes an injury continues to cause pain despite the fact that, structurally, it has healed . Other times, it’s caused by an illness, or degenerative disease. Sometimes, there is no discernible cause for someone’s chronic pain. 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 over time or due to an injury, causing chronic pain in the affected joint.
• Numerous different conditions that cause lower back pain — Up to 84% of adults will deal with back pain at some point in their lives. Causes can be poor posture or technique, repetitive motions at a physically demanding job, sciatica, or a variety of disc injuries.
• Cancer pain — Tumors can cause pain when they push up against 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 — Sometimes, there is no underlying musculoskeletal cause, but because there is dysfunction in the nervous system, or because of psychological stress.

You can read our pointers for managing chronic pain, and while many are effective, many people we see in Kimmswick, MO have felt like they tried everything and still can’t find relief. Often, physical therapy becomes their path toward meaningful pain relief and getting back to the activities they love.

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

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of modalities in Kimmswick, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter drugs, chiropractic adjustments, massage, and consistent exercise. Studies show that making physical therapy a part of your treatment plan can lead to considerable improvement. You are welcome to come to any Axes location in the Kimmswick area for a free screening to learn what might be causing your chronic pain. We’ll get to know you and your pain better. How often do you have pain? When does it come on? When does it get better? How does your chronic pain affect you in your daily life? From there, we’ll work in concert with you and your doctor to design a personalized course of treatment aimed at returning you a pain-free daily life.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by stretching and strengthening your body. Collectively improving those aspects of optimal movement health eases pain and enhances your daily life by allowing your body to work better, and disrupting certain nerves from sending pain messages to your brain. 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 Kimmswick, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise increases endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only eases pain but eases related symptoms like stress and depression. A professional Kimmswick, MO physical therapist can help you perform exercises aimed at improving your mobility without causing further pain or injury. With guided exercise, your brain will come to understand that certain movements can be carried out without pain, rebuilding your brain’s trust in the rest of your body. We’ll also show you light exercises you can do outside of our sessions.

Manual Therapy and Soft Tissue Mobilization

Manual therapy incorporates therapeutic touch to promote healing and relaxation of the surrounding tissues. Your Kimmswick, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely move your muscles and joints. Research demonstrates that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is more effective than either technique used alone.

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization is a form of 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 treatment method that is becoming more popular among Kimmswick, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate damaged muscles, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. This eases pain as it encourages the body to start to heal itself 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 delivers low-voltage currents, which releases endorphins and stimulates nerve cells that block the transmission of pain messages.

Patient Education

Understanding why you’re experiencing pain and how to deal with it in your daily life can do wonders for your chronic pain treatment in Kimmswick, MO. We’ll help you learn appropriate posture and movement practices, as well as healthy lifestyle suggestions like diet recommendations.

Other services we offer in Kimmswick, MO include:

• 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
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Kimmswick, MO, we do what we do for simple reasons: to deliver positive patient outcomes and help our patients get back to their best life. Whether you want to be able to run across the tennis court like you used to, or just want to carry the groceries in pain-free, speak to a physical therapist in Kimmswick, MO today or schedule an appointment online for meaningful chronic pain treatment.