Chronic Pain Treatment in Maplewood, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Maplewood, MO. Anyone who has lived with chronic pain knows how limiting it can be. Sometimes, it goes on so long that we lose sight of how good we’re capable of feeling. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably performing daily tasks like walking up the stairs, or the activities we love most, whether that be dominating your local flag football league or being able to properly look after your kids.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of 15 physical and occupational therapy locations committed to helping our Maplewood, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through custom-tailored chronic pain treatment plans, based on techniques that have been proven to work. To get back to the activities you love most, call the location nearest you or contact us online for effective chronic pain treatment.

What Is Chronic Pain?

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 occur every day or every few days, can be localized or radiate through your body, and can range from dull soreness to burning pain.

According to the CDC, in 2019 20.4% of adults nationwide had chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (or 36.4% of those who experienced chronic pain) had “high-impact” chronic pain, which is persistent pain 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 higher medical expenses. It can also cause significant mental health issues and trouble sleeping.

Why Do I Have Chronic Pain?

Pain, in general, is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Often, pain is caused by an injury, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs suddenly, usually because of a known, root cause such as burns, cuts, broken bones, dental work, or surgery. The pain lasts for anywhere from a moment to months while the injury heals.

By contrast, people can experience chronic pain for several reasons. Sometimes an injury continues to cause pain despite the fact that, structurally, it has healed . Other times, it’s caused by a medical condition, 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 conditions that cause joint pain — The soft tissue in our joints can become inflamed or wear down over time or due to an injury, causing joint pain.
• Numerous different conditions that cause low back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 adults will deal with back pain eventually. 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 grow and touch other parts inside your body.
• Fibromyalgia — While experts are still trying to understand the exact cause of fibromyalgia, this refers to widespread muscle pain and tenderness.
• Neurogenic pain and psychogenic pain — Sometimes, there is no underlying musculoskeletal cause, but rather it’s caused by the nervous system, or because of depression, anxiety, and/or stress.

You can check out our suggestions for easing chronic pain, and while many are effective, many people we see in Maplewood, MO tell us that they have tried all of them and more and still can’t find relief. Often, physical therapy is the treatment that finally gets them relief and returns them to a pain-free daily life.

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

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of modalities in Maplewood, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter drugs, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and consistent exercise. Studies show that including physical therapy into your treatment plan is incredibly effective for relieving chronic pain. You are welcome to come to any Axes location in the Maplewood area 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 your screening, we’ll work in tandem with you and your physician to develop 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 flexibility. Collectively improving those aspects of optimal movement health relieves pain and enhances your daily life by allowing your body to function better, and interrupting any signals to your brain that something may be wrong. 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 Maplewood, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise increases endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good hormone, which not only alleviates pain but eases any depression, stress, and/or anxiety caused by your pain. A qualified Maplewood, 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, restoring your brain’s trust in the rest of your body. We’ll also show you light exercises you can do at home.

Manual Therapy and Soft Tissue Mobilization

Manual therapy involves therapeutic touch to encourage your body’s natural healing process and relaxation of the surrounding tissues. Your Maplewood, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely manipulate your muscles and joints. Research demonstrates that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is more effective than either technique used by itself.

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

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new technique that is becoming more popular among Maplewood, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate inflamed soft tissue. This eases pain as it encourages the body to start to heal itself and stimulates the nutrient-rich blood flow 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 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 Maplewood, MO. We’ll help you learn appropriate posture and movement practices, in addition to healthy lifestyle tips like how to keep a healthy diet.

Other services we offer in Maplewood, MO include:

• Physical Therapy Clinic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Maplewood, MO, we do what we do for simple reasons: to deliver positive client outcomes and help our patients get back to their best life. Whether you miss being able to hit a breakaway layup like you used to, or just want to get out of bed in the morning without discomfort, speak to a physical therapist in Maplewood, MO today or request an appointment online for lasting chronic pain treatment.