Chronic Pain Treatment Sappington, MO | Physical Therapists Near Sappington

Chronic Pain Treatment in Sappington, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Sappington, MO. Anyone who has lived with chronic pain knows how hard it is to express how much it limits you. 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 completing daily tasks like carrying in groceries, or the activities we love most, whether that be dominating your local flag football league or playing with your grandchildren.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of 15 physical and occupational therapy locations dedicated to helping our Sappington, MO patients find lasting relief through custom-tailored and evidence-backed chronic pain treatment. If you’re finally ready to move on from chronic pain, reach out to the location nearest you or contact us online for successful chronic pain treatment.

What Type of Pain is Considered “Chronic”?

Chronic pain is pain that lasts for longer than 3-6 months, 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 hit different muscles or joints, and can be anything from dull soreness to stinging pain.

Based on research from the CDC, in 2019 almost a quarter of adults nationwide suffered from chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (or 36.4% of those who experienced chronic pain) had “high-impact” chronic pain, defined as pain that, on “most days” or “every day,” limits work or life activities. Chronic pain doesn’t just hurt you physically. 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 People Experience Chronic Pain?

Pain, generally speaking, occurs when nerves called nociceptors perceive damaged tissue, and send a signal through your spinal cord up to your brain. In most cases, pain is caused by trauma, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs suddenly, usually because of a discernible, underlying cause such as falling, 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 after the tissue is repaired . In other cases, it’s caused by a medical condition, or occurs as our bodies wear down as we age. 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 irritated or wear down from overuse or overexertion, causing chronic pain in the affected joint.
Numerous different conditions that lead to low back pain — Up to 84% of adults suffer from back pain eventually. Causes can be poor posture or technique, repetitive motions at a physically demanding job, sciatica, or a variety of disc injuries.
Cancer pain — Tumors can cause pain when they push up against 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 rather it’s caused by the nervous system, or because of depression, anxiety, and/or stress.

You can read our suggestions for relieving chronic pain, and while many can lead to greater comfort, many of our Sappington, MO patients 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 the activities they love.

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

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

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of modalities in Sappington, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter drugs, chiropractic adjustments, massage, and regular exercise. Studies show that including physical therapy into your treatment plan is incredibly effective for relieving chronic pain. You are welcome to visit any Axes location in the Sappington 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? When does it come on? When does it get better? How is limiting you in your daily life? After your screening, we’ll work in concert with you and your physician to come up with a personalized treatment plan aimed at returning you a pain-free daily life.

Physical therapy helps by stretching and strengthening your body. Helping you achieve optimal mobility relieves pain and enhances your daily life by making your body work better, and breaking up 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 Sappington, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise boosts your body’s production of endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only reduces pain but eases any depression, stress, and/or anxiety caused by your pain. A licensed Sappington, MO physical therapist will guide through exercises aimed at improving your mobility without causing more pain or injury. With guided exercise, we can re-train your brain to accept certain movements and positions without pain, rebuilding 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 encourage your body’s natural healing process and relaxation of muscles and joints. Your Sappington, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely manipulate soft tissue. Research demonstrates that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is better at treating pain than either technique used alone.

With instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, physical therapists use specialized tools, like HawkGrips®, instead of their hands, to improve tissue alignment and pinpoint degenerative tissue and soft tissue restrictions.

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new treatment method that increasingly more Sappington, MO physical therapists are incorporating into their treatment plans. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate damaged soft tissue. In doing so, it encourages the body to start to heal itself 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 awakens nerve cells that block the transmission of pain signals.

Patient Education

Understanding why you’re experiencing pain and how to deal with it in your daily life can do wonders for your chronic pain treatment in Sappington, MO. We’ll help you learn the best way to sit, stand, and move, in addition to healthy lifestyle suggestions like diet recommendations.

Other services we offer in Sappington, MO include:

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Sappington, MO, we do what we do for simple reasons: to deliver positive client experiences and help people return to to their best life. Whether you want to be able to run across the tennis court like you used to, or just want to walk up the stairs without discomfort, speak to a physical therapist in Sappington, MO today or schedule an appointment online for lasting chronic pain treatment.