Chronic Pain Treatment Paulina Hills, MO

Chronic Pain Treatment in Paulina Hills, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Paulina Hills, MO. Anyone who has suffered from chronic pain knows the debilitating consequences it can have on your life. For some of us, it goes on so long that we lose sight of how good we used to feel. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably performing daily activities like carrying in groceries, or the activities we love doing the most, whether that be flying down the court or painting bowls of fruit.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of provider-owned physical therapy and rehabilitation centers devoted to helping our Paulina Hills, MO patients find lasting relief through customized chronic pain treatment plans, based on techniques that have been proven to work. To get back to a pain-free daily life, call our location nearest you or contact us online for safe chronic pain treatment.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that lasts for longer than 12 weeks, which is how long it typically takes pain to go away after an injury, surgery, or illness. The pain can be constant or can come and go, can be localized or radiate through your body, and can range from aching to burning pain.

Based on research from the CDC, in 2019 one out of five adults nationwide suffered from chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (or 36.4% of those who experienced chronic pain) suffered from “high-impact” chronic pain, defined as pain that, on “most days” or “every day,” 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 significant economic costs. It can also lead to anxiety, depression, and trouble sleeping.

What’s Behind Chronic Pain?

Pain, in general, is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Often, 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 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 identifiable. Sometimes an injury continues to cause pain after the tissue is repaired . Other times, it’s caused by a medical condition, or happens as our bodies wear down as we age. Sometimes, there is no perceptible 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 soft tissue in our joints can become damaged or wear down from overuse or overexertion, causing chronic pain in the affected joint.
A variety of conditions that cause low back pain — Up to 84% of adults suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. 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 cause pain when they bother tissue, nerves, or organs.
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 — In some cases, there is no underlying musculoskeletal cause, but because there is an issue in the nervous system, or because of depression, anxiety, and/or stress.

You can check out our suggestions for relieving chronic pain, and while many are effective, many of our Paulina Hills, MO patients tell us that they have tried all of them and more and still can’t feel better. Often, physical therapy becomes their path toward lasting pain relief and getting back to a pain-free daily life.

Chronic Pain Treatment Paulina Hills, MO | Pain Management | Physical Therapist Near Paulina Hills

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

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of means in Paulina Hills, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter medications, spinal adjustments by a chiropractor, massage, 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 Paulina Hills area for a free screening to learn what might be causing your chronic pain. We’ll ask you questions to better understand how we can help you. How often do you have pain? Does anything make it better or worse? How does your chronic pain affect you in your daily life? After our evaluation, we’ll form a team with you and your physician to develop a tailor-made course of treatment aimed at returning you to the things you love most.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by stretching and strengthening your body. Helping you reach optimal mobility eases pain and enhances your daily 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 your desired activity level, your treatment plan in Paulina Hills, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins, your body’s homegrown, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only eases pain but eases any depression, stress, and/or anxiety related to your pain. A qualified Paulina Hills, MO physical therapist can guide through exercises that will safely and effectively improve your mobility. With guided exercise, your brain will come to understand that certain movements can be achieved without pain, restoring how your brain processes messages. We’ll also show you light exercises you can do at home.

Manual Therapy and Soft Tissue Mobilization

Manual therapy involves therapeutic touch to promote healing and relaxation of the surrounding tissues. Your Paulina Hills, MO physical therapist will use their hands to gently put pressure on soft tissue. Research demonstrates that manual therapy and guided exercise together are better at treating pain 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 tool that increasingly more Paulina Hills, 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 blood to the region.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes where the pain is located. It sends low-level electrical currents to release 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 Paulina Hills, MO. We’ll teach you appropriate posture and movement practices, as well as healthy lifestyle tips like how to keep a healthy diet.

Other conditions we treat in Paulina Hills, MO include:

Chronic Pain Treatment Paulina Hills, MO | Physical Therapy | Pain Management Near Paulina Hills

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Paulina Hills, MO, our goals are simple: to achieve positive patient experiences and help our patients return to to the things they love doing most. 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 Paulina Hills, MO today or schedule an appointment online for lasting chronic pain treatment.