Chronic Pain Treatment Pevely, MO | Physical Therapists Near Pevely

Chronic Pain Treatment in Pevely, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Pevely, MO. If you suffer from chronic pain, you know all too well the debilitating consequences it can have on your life. Sometimes, the months or years we’ve dealt with it leads us to forget how good we used to feel. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably performing daily activities like doing household chores, or the things we love doing the most, whether that be flying down the court or picking up your kids.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of provider-owned physical and occupational therapy centers dedicated to helping our Pevely, 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 most convenient for you you or request an appointment for effective chronic pain treatment.

What Type of Pain is Considered “Chronic”?

Chronic pain is pain that lasts for longer than three months, which is generally considered to be the “normal” healing period. The pain can be constant or can come and go, can be localized or radiate through your body, and can be anything from dull soreness 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, which is persistent pain 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 cause significant mental health issues and trouble sleeping.

Why Do People Experience Chronic Pain?

Pain, in general, occurs when nerves called nociceptors detect damage somewhere in your body, and send a signal through your spinal cord up to your brain. In most cases, pain is due to an injury, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs immediately, usually because of a known, root cause such as stubbing your toe, dental work, or surgery. It can last for anywhere from a moment to months while the injury heals.

By contrast, people can experience chronic pain for several reasons. In some cases there may be an injury that hurts despite the fact that, structurally, it has healed . Other times, it’s caused by an illness, or occurs as our bodies weaken with age. 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 soft tissue in our joints can become inflamed or wear down over time or due to an injury, causing joint pain.
A variety of conditions that cause low back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 adults suffer from back pain eventually. Causes can be poor posture or technique, wear and tear at a job that requires physical exertion, sciatica, or disc injuries that impinge on the nerves in the spinal column.
Cancer pain — Tumors can cause pain when they bother bones, your spine, or other tissue.
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.

There are many pointers for relieving chronic pain, and while many are effective, many people we see in Pevely, MO tell us that they have tried everything 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.

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

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

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of means in Pevely, MO, including medication, spinal adjustments by a chiropractor, yoga, 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 better understand 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? What makes it worse? What makes it better? How is limiting you in your daily life? After our evaluation, we’ll work in concert with you and your physician to develop a customized treatment plan aimed at returning you a comfortable daily life.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by increasing your strength, balance, posture, and range of motion. Collectively improving those aspects of the best possible mobility eases pain and improves your quality of life by allowing your body to work better, and interrupting any signals to your brain that something may be wrong. Depending on you, the causes of your chronic pain, how old you are, and your desired activity level, your treatment plan in Pevely, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise increases endorphins, your body’s homegrown, feel-good hormone, which not only reduces pain but eases any psychological stress you feel because of your pain. A qualified Pevely, MO physical therapist will guide through exercises aimed at improving your mobility without causing further pain or injury. With these exercises, we can re-train your brain to accept certain movements and positions 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 involves therapeutic touch to promote healing and relaxation of the surrounding tissues. Your Pevely, MO physical therapist will use their hands to gently manipulate your muscles and joints. Studies have shown that manual therapy and guided exercise together are more effective than either treatment method used by itself.

With instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, physical therapists use specially designed tools, like Graston®, instead of their hands, to improve tissue alignment and locate degenerative tissue and soft tissue restrictions.

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new treatment method that increasingly more Pevely, MO physical therapists are incorporating into their treatment plans. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate irritated soft tissue. This eases pain as it stimulates the body’s “healing mode” and stimulates the flow of nutrients to the region.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes on the skin near where you are experiencing pain. It delivers low-voltage currents, which releases endorphins and stimulates nerve cells that stop your brain from receiving pain messages.

Patient Education

Understanding why you’re experiencing pain and how to cope with it can have a considerable positive effect on your chronic pain treatment in Pevely, MO. We’ll teach you the best way to sit, stand, and move, as well as healthy lifestyle suggestions like diet recommendations.

Other conditions we treat in Pevely, MO include:

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Pevely, MO, our goals are simple: to achieve positive client outcomes and help our patients return to to their best life. Whether you miss being able to hit a breakaway layup like you used to, or just want to carry the groceries in without discomfort, speak to a physical therapist in Pevely, MO today or make an appointment online for lasting chronic pain treatment.