Chronic Pain Treatment in Wentzville, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Wentzville, MO. Anyone who has had to deal with chronic pain knows the debilitating consequences it can have on your life. For some of us, it goes on so long that we forget how good we’re capable of feeling. At it’s worse, the pain can keep us from comfortably performing daily tasks like doing household chores, or the things we love doing the most, whether that be dominating your local softball league or playing with your kids.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of 15 physical and occupational therapy centers dedicated to helping our Wentzville, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through custom-tailored chronic pain treatment plans, built on techniques that have been proven to work. If you’re finally ready to move on from chronic pain, reach out to the location most convenient for you you or schedule an appointment for successful 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 stay in one spot or hit different body parts, and can range from stiffness to stinging pain.

According to the CDC, in 2019 one out of five U.S. adults dealt with chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (or 36.4% of those who experienced chronic pain) had “high-impact” chronic pain, which is pain that occurs on more days than not that limits work or life activities. Anyone who suffers from frequent pain symptoms 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 trouble sleeping.

Why Do I Have 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 caused by a specific incident or illness. “Acute pain” occurs immediately, usually because of a discernible, underlying cause such as being hit with something, 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. In some cases there may be an injury that hurts even after it’s healed . In other cases, it’s caused by a medical condition, or happens as our bodies wear down as we age. 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 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 cause lower back pain — Almost 9 out of 10 adults will deal with back pain at some point in their lives. Causes can be poor posture or technique, repetitive motions at a physically demanding job, sciatica, or disc injuries that affect the nerves in the spinal column.
• Cancer pain — Tumors can lead to pain when they push up against tissue, nerves, or organs.
• 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, there is no underlying musculoskeletal cause, but because there is dysfunction in the nervous system, or because of mental health issues or your personal history.

You can read our suggestions for easing chronic pain, and while many can help you be more active in your daily life, many of our Wentzville, MO patients have felt like they tried everything and still can’t find relief. Often, physical therapy is the treatment that finally gets them relief and returns them to the things that are most important to them.

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

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of means in Wentzville, MO, including medication, spinal adjustments by a chiropractor, yoga, and regular exercise. Research demonstrates that incorporating physical therapy into your treatment plan is incredibly effective for relieving chronic pain. You are welcome to come to any of our 15 locations for a free screening to learn what might be causing your chronic pain. We’ll get to know you and your pain better. How often do you have pain? What makes it worse? What makes it better? 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 come up with a tailor-made course of treatment aimed at returning you to the things you love most.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by increasing your strength, balance, posture, and range of motion. Collectively improving those aspects of the best possible movement health relieves pain and improves your quality of life by making your body work better, and breaking up certain body parts 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 Wentzville, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise boosts your body’s production of endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good chemical messengers, which not only alleviates pain but helps with related symptoms like stress and depression. A professional Wentzville, MO physical therapist will guide through exercises aimed at improving your mobility without causing further pain or injury. 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 involves therapeutic touch to encourage your body’s natural healing process and relaxation of muscles and joints. Your Wentzville, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely move soft tissue. Studies have shown that manual therapy and guided exercise together are more effective than either treatment method used alone.

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization is similar to 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 Wentzville, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to gently create small tears or rips in inflamed soft tissue. This eases pain as it encourages the body to start to heal itself and stimulates the flow of nutrients to the affected body part.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes where the pain is located. It delivers low-voltage currents, which releases endorphins and stimulates 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 Wentzville, MO. We’ll teach you the best way to sit, stand, and move, as well as healthy lifestyle suggestions like how to keep a healthy diet.

Other services we offer in Wentzville, MO include:

• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Wentzville, MO, we do what we do for simple reasons: to deliver positive patient outcomes and help our patients return to to the activities they love. Whether you want to be able to run across the tennis court like you used to, or just want to get out of bed in the morning pain-free, speak to a physical therapist in Wentzville, MO today or request an appointment online for meaningful chronic pain treatment.