Chronic Pain Treatment South County, MO | Physical Therapists Near South County

Chronic Pain Treatment in South County, MO

Chronic pain treatment in South County, MO. Anyone who has suffered from chronic pain knows how hard it is to express how much it limits you. 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 completing basic activities like walking up the stairs, or the activities we love doing the most, whether that be flying down the field or working in the garden.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of 15 physical and occupational therapy centers devoted to helping our South County, MO patients find meaningful relief through customized chronic pain treatment plans, built on techniques that have been proven to work. If you’re finally ready to move on from chronic pain, call our location nearest you or contact us online for safe chronic pain treatment.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that doesn’t go away after three months, which is generally considered to be the “normal” healing period. The pain can be constant or can come and go, can stay in one spot or hit different muscles or joints, and can change in severity from dull soreness to burning pain.

Based on research from the CDC, in 2019 20.4% of American adults suffered from chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (over a third 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 perform other activities. Anyone who suffers from pain frequently will tell you that it causes far more than just physical discomfort. Chronic pain reduces quality of life and leads to significant economic costs. It can also lead to anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Why Do People Experience Chronic Pain?

Pain, in general, occurs when nerves called nociceptors perceive damage somewhere in your body, and send a signal from that body part to your brain. In most cases, pain is due to trauma, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs immediately, usually because of a discernible, underlying cause such as stubbing your toe, dental work, or surgery. It can last for anywhere from a few minutes to months while the injury heals.

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 . In other cases, it’s caused by a medical condition, or degenerative disease. Sometimes, the pain isn’t caused by a specific condition, but rather from things like poor posture, obesity, or overexertion. Common types and causes of chronic pain include:

Arthritis, bursitis, tendinitis, and other conditions that cause joint pain — The cartilage, tendons, and ligaments in our joints can become damaged or wear down from overuse or overexertion, causing joint pain.
A variety of conditions that lead to lower back pain — Up to 84% of adults suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Causes can be poor posture or technique, wear and tear 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 bones, your spine, or other tissue.
Fibromyalgia — While an exact cause isn’t yet known, this refers to pain you feel in your muscles all over your body.
Neurogenic pain and psychogenic pain — Sometimes, there is no underlying musculoskeletal cause, but because there is dysfunction in the nervous system, or because of psychological stress.

There are many suggestions for relieving chronic pain, and while many can lead to greater comfort, many people we see in South County, MO tell us that they have tried everything and still can’t feel better. Often, physical therapy becomes their path toward meaningful pain relief and getting back to a pain-free daily life.

Chronic Pain Treatment South County, MO | Pain Management | Physical Therapist Near South County

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

There are many possible options for chronic pain treatment in South County, MO, including medication, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and regular exercise. Studies show 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 South County area for a free screening to learn why you might be suffering from 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 our evaluation, we’ll work in tandem with you and your doctor to design a customized course of treatment aimed at returning you a comfortable daily life.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by stretching and strengthening your body. Collectively improving those aspects of the best possible mobility eases pain and enhances your daily life by making your body function better, and breaking up certain nerves from sending pain messages to your brain. Depending on you, the causes of your chronic pain, your age, and your desired activity level, your treatment plan in South County, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise increases 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 professional South County, MO physical therapist will lead you through exercises aimed at improving your mobility without causing further pain or injury. With guided exercise, we can re-train your brain to accept certain movements and positions 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 promote healing and relaxation of the surrounding tissues. Your South County, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely manipulate your muscles and joints. Studies have shown that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is more effective than either technique used alone.

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization is similar to 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 increasingly more South County, 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 nutrient-rich blood flow to the affected area.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes over the body part that’s causing you 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 South County, MO. We’ll teach you 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 South County, MO include:

Chronic Pain Treatment South County, MO | Physical Therapy | Pain Management Near South County

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in South County, MO, our objectives are clear: to achieve positive patient experiences and help our patients get back 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 pain-free, speak to a physical therapist in South County, MO today or schedule an appointment online for lasting chronic pain treatment.