Chronic Pain Treatment Stone Meadows, MO | Physical Therapists Near Stone Meadows

Chronic Pain Treatment in Stone Meadows, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Stone Meadows, MO. Anyone who has had to deal with 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 what it feels like to live a pain-free life. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably completing basic tasks like walking up the stairs, or the things we love doing the most, whether that be dominating your local flag football league or painting bowls of fruit.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of 15 physical and occupational therapy centers dedicated to helping our Stone Meadows, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through personalized and evidence-backed chronic pain treatment. To get back to a pain-free daily life, reach out to the location most convenient for you you or request an appointment for safe chronic pain treatment.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that doesn’t go away after 3-6 months, which is how long it typically takes pain to go away after an injury, surgery, or illness. The pain can occur every day or every few days, can stay in one spot or radiate through your body, and can change in severity from aching to stinging pain.

According to the CDC, in 2019 one out of five 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,” limits work or life 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.

What Causes Chronic Pain?

Pain, generally speaking, is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. In most cases, pain is due to an injury, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs suddenly, usually because of a discernible, root cause such as an injury, dental work, or surgery. It can last for anywhere from a moment to several weeks.

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 an illness, 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 joint pain.
A variety of conditions that lead to lower back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 adults suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Causes can be poor posture or technique, wear and tear at work, sciatica, or a variety of disc injuries.
Cancer pain — Tumors can lead to pain when they bother other parts inside your body.
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 mental health issues or your personal history.

There are many tips for easing chronic pain, and while many can help you be more active in your daily life, many of our Stone Meadows, MO patients have felt like they 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 Stone Meadows, MO | Pain Management | Physical Therapist Near Stone Meadows

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

There are many possible options for chronic pain treatment in Stone Meadows, MO, including medication, chiropractic adjustments, massage, 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 why you might be experiencing chronic pain. We’ll get to know you and your pain better. 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 your screening, we’ll form a team with you and your doctor to develop a personalized treatment plan aimed at getting you back a comfortable daily life.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by increasing your strength, balance, posture, and flexibility. Collectively improving those aspects of the best possible 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 the activity level you wish to get back to, your treatment plan in Stone Meadows, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise increases endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only reduces pain but helps with related symptoms like stress and depression. A qualified Stone Meadows, MO physical therapist can help you perform exercises that will safely and effectively improve your mobility. With these exercises, your brain will come to understand that certain movements can be achieved 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 incorporates therapeutic touch to encourage your body’s natural healing process and relaxation of muscles and joints. Your Stone Meadows, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely put pressure on soft tissue. Research demonstrates that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is better at treating pain than either technique used by itself.

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization is a form of manual therapy, except that instead of their hands, physical therapists use specialized tools like Graston®.

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new treatment method that increasingly more Stone Meadows, MO physical therapists are incorporating into their treatment plans. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate damaged 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 where the pain is located. It sends low-level electrical currents to release endorphins and stimulates nerve cells that stop your brain from receiving pain signals.

Patient Education

Understanding the cause of your pain and how to deal with it in your daily life can have a significant positive effect on your chronic pain treatment in Stone Meadows, MO. We’ll teach you appropriate posture and movement practices, in addition to healthy lifestyle tips like how to keep a healthy diet.

Other conditions we treat in Stone Meadows, MO include:

Chronic Pain Treatment Stone Meadows, MO | Physical Therapy | Pain Management Near Stone Meadows

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Stone Meadows, MO, we do what we do for simple reasons: to deliver positive patient outcomes and help people 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 carry the groceries in pain-free, speak to a physical therapist in Stone Meadows, MO today or request an appointment online for meaningful chronic pain treatment.

Stone Meadows, MO