Chronic Pain Treatment in Ranken, MO
Chronic pain treatment in Ranken, MO. If you suffer from chronic pain, you know all too well how hard it is to express the effects it has on your daily life. Sometimes, the months or years we’ve dealt with it causes us to forget how good we’re capable of feeling. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably performing basic tasks like doing household chores, or the things we love best, whether that be dominating your local softball league or painting bowls of fruit.
Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of 15 physical and occupational therapy centers committed to helping our Ranken, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through custom-tailored chronic pain treatment plans, based on techniques that have been demonstrated to work. If you’re finally ready to move on from chronic pain, call the location nearest you or schedule an appointment for successful chronic pain treatment.
What Type of Pain is Considered “Chronic”?
Chronic pain is pain that doesn’t go away after 3-6 months, 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 aching to searing, intense pain.
According to the CDC, in 2019 almost a quarter of American adults dealt with chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (or 36.4% of those with 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. 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 I Have 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 suddenly, usually because of a known, root cause such as an injury, dental work, or surgery. The pain lasts for anywhere from a moment to several weeks.
By contrast, people can experience chronic pain for several reasons. In some cases there may be an injury that hurts even after it’s healed . Other times, it’s caused by an illness, or degenerative disease. Sometimes, there is no observable 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 from overuse or overexertion, causing chronic pain in the affected joint.
- 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, repetitive motions at work, sciatica, or disc injuries that affect the nerves in the spinal column.
- Cancer pain — Tumors can cause pain when they grow and touch 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, pain does not occur for a physical reason, but rather it’s caused by the nervous system, or because of depression, anxiety, and/or stress.
You can read our tips for easing chronic pain, and while many can help you be more active in your daily life, many people we see in Ranken, MO have felt like they tried everything 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.

Why Is Physical Therapy in Ranken, MO a Great Option For Chronic Pain Treatment?
There are many possible options for chronic pain treatment in Ranken, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter medications, chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, and consistent exercise. Studies show that making physical therapy a part of your treatment plan is incredibly effective for relieving chronic pain. You can visit any of our 15 locations for a free screening to learn why you might be experiencing 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 tandem with you and your physician to design a tailor-made course of treatment aimed at getting you back to the things you love most.
Physical therapy helps by stretching and strengthening your body. Helping you achieve optimal movement health relieves pain and enhances your daily life by making your body function better, and interrupting any signals to your brain that something may be wrong. Depending on you, the nature of your chronic pain, your age, and the activity level you wish to get back to, your treatment plan in Ranken, MO may include:
Guided Exercise
Exercise releases endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only reduces pain but helps with related symptoms like stress and depression. A licensed Ranken, MO physical therapist will 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 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 at home.
Manual Therapy and Soft Tissue Mobilization
Manual therapy incorporates therapeutic touch to promote healing and relaxation of the surrounding tissues. Your Ranken, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely manipulate your muscles and joints. Studies have shown 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 Astym®.
Dry Needling
Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new technique that is becoming more popular among Ranken, MO physical therapist. 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 nutrient-rich blood flow to the region.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
TENS works by placing electrodes where the pain is located. It sends low-voltage electrical currents to release endorphins and awakens nerve cells that prevent your brain from receiving pain messages.
Patient Education
Understanding why you’re experiencing pain and how to deal with it in your daily life can have a considerable positive effect on your chronic pain treatment in Ranken, MO. We’ll help you learn the best way to sit, stand, and move, in addition to healthy lifestyle tips like how to keep a healthy diet.
Other services we offer in Ranken, MO include:
- 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
- Workers Comp' Physical Therapy

Call Axes Physical Therapy For Your Chronic Pain Treatment in Ranken, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy in Ranken, MO, we do what we do for simple reasons: to deliver positive client outcomes and help people 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 carry the groceries in pain-free, speak to a physical therapist in Ranken, MO today or request an appointment online for meaningful chronic pain treatment.
