Chronic Pain Treatment in Maryland Heights, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Maryland Heights, MO. Anyone who has suffered from chronic pain knows how limiting it can be. 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 performing basic activities like walking up the stairs, or the things we love most, whether that be sprinting down the court or picking up your children.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of 15 physical and occupational therapy locations committed to helping our Maryland Heights, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through customized chronic pain treatment plans, built on techniques that have been demonstrated to work. If you’re finally ready to move on from chronic pain, call the location most convenient for you you or contact us online for effective chronic pain treatment.

What Type of Pain is Considered “Chronic”?

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 stay in one spot or hit different muscles or joints, and can change in severity from dull soreness to stinging pain.

Based on research from the CDC, in 2019 one out of five U.S. 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 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 impacts quality of life and leads to significant economic costs. It can also lead to anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Why Do I Have Chronic Pain?

Pain, in general, is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. In most cases, pain is caused by trauma, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs at once, usually because of a known, root cause such as being hit with something, 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. 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 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 joint pain.
• Numerous different conditions that lead to lower back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 adults suffer from back pain eventually. Causes can be poor posture or technique, repetitive motions at a physically demanding job, sciatica, or disc injuries that affect the nerves in the spinal column.
• 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 — In some cases, pain does not occur for a physical reason, but because there is an issue in the nervous system, or because of psychological stress.

You can check out our suggestions for relieving chronic pain, and while many can lead to greater comfort, many people we see in Maryland Heights, MO tell us that they have tried all of them and more and still can’t find relief. Often, physical therapy is the strategy that finally gets them relief and returns them to the activities they love.

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

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of means in Maryland Heights, MO, including medication, spinal adjustments by a chiropractor, massage, and regular exercise. Studies show that making physical therapy a part of your treatment plan is incredibly effective for relieving chronic pain. You are welcome to visit any of our 15 locations 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? After our evaluation, we’ll work in tandem with you and your doctor to come up with a tailor-made treatment plan aimed at returning you to the things you love most.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by stretching and strengthening your body. Helping you achieve optimal mobility eases pain and improves your quality of life by making your body function better, and disrupting 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 Maryland Heights, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise increases endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only eases pain but helps with related symptoms like stress and depression. A qualified Maryland Heights, MO physical therapist can guide through exercises that will safely and effectively improve your mobility. With these exercises, your brain will come to understand that certain movements can be performed without pain, restoring your brain’s trust in the rest of your body. 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 involves therapeutic touch to encourage your body’s natural healing process and relaxation of the surrounding tissues. Your Maryland Heights, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely put pressure on your muscles and joints. Studies have shown that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is better at treating pain than either treatment method 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 more and more Maryland Heights, MO physical therapists are incorporating into their treatment plans. It involves using thin, filiform needles to gently create small tears or rips in irritated soft tissue. In doing so, it stimulates the body’s “healing mode” and encourages the nutrient-rich blood flow to the affected area.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes on the skin near where you are experiencing pain. It sends low-voltage electrical currents to release endorphins and awakens nerve cells that block the transmission of pain messages.

Patient Education

Understanding the cause of your pain and how to cope with it can do wonders for your chronic pain treatment in Maryland Heights, MO. We’ll help you learn the best way to sit, stand, and move, in addition to healthy lifestyle tips like diet recommendations.

Other conditions we treat in Maryland Heights, MO include:

• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation
• Pain Management Services
• TMJ Treatment
• Herniated Disc Treatment
• Rotator Cuff Tear Treatment
• Running Injury

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Maryland Heights, MO, we do what we do for simple reasons: to deliver positive patient outcomes and help our patients 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 carry the groceries in without discomfort, speak to a physical therapist in Maryland Heights, MO today or request an appointment online for meaningful chronic pain treatment.