Chronic Pain Treatment in West Alton, MO

Chronic pain treatment in West Alton, MO. If you suffer from chronic pain, you know all too well the debilitating effect it can have on your life. For some of us, 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 daily tasks like walking up the stairs, or the activities we love doing the most, whether that be dominating your local pickleball league or painting bowls of fruit.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of 15 physical and occupational therapy centers committed to helping our West Alton, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through personalized chronic pain treatment plans, based on techniques that have been proven to work. To get back to a pain-free daily life, reach out to our location most convenient for you you or schedule an appointment for safe chronic pain treatment.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that lasts for longer than three 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 be anything from aching to searing, intense pain.

According to the CDC, in 2019 20.4% of U.S. adults suffered from chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (or 36.4% of those with chronic pain) suffered from “high-impact” chronic pain, which is pain that occurs on more days than not that affects how somebody can work or perform other 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.

What’s Behind Chronic Pain?

Pain, generally speaking, occurs when nerves called nociceptors perceive damaged tissue, and send a signal from that body part to your brain. Often, pain is caused by a specific incident or illness. “Acute pain” occurs immediately, usually because of a discernible, root cause such as being hit with something, dental work, or surgery. It can last for anywhere from a few minutes to several weeks.

By contrast, people can experience chronic pain for several reasons. Sometimes an injury continues to cause pain even after it’s healed . Other times, 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 chronic pain in the affected joint.
• A variety of conditions that cause low back pain — Up to 84% of adults will deal with back pain eventually. Causes can be poor posture or technique, repetitive motions at work, sciatica, or a variety of disc injuries.
• 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 — Sometimes, there is no underlying musculoskeletal cause, but because there is dysfunction in the nervous system, or because of depression, anxiety, and/or stress.

There are many tips for easing chronic pain, and while many are effective, many of our West Alton, MO patients tell us that they have tried everything and still can’t find relief. Often, physical therapy becomes their path toward meaningful pain relief and getting back to a pain-free daily life.

How Do Physical Therapists in West Alton, MO Help With Chronic Pain Treatment?

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of means in West Alton, MO, including medication, spinal adjustments by a chiropractor, massage, and consistent exercise. Studies show that including physical therapy into your treatment plan can lead to considerable improvement. You can come to any of our 15 locations for a free screening to better understand what might be causing your 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 come up with a customized course of treatment aimed at getting you back a comfortable daily life.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by stretching and strengthening your body. Collectively improving those aspects of optimal mobility relieves pain and enhances your daily life by making your body function better, and breaking up any signals to your brain that something may be wrong. Depending on you, the nature of your chronic pain, how old you are, and your desired activity level, your treatment plan in West Alton, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise boosts your body’s production of endorphins, your body’s homegrown, feel-good hormone, which not only alleviates pain but eases any psychological stress related to your pain. A qualified West Alton, MO physical therapist can guide through exercises aimed at improving your mobility without causing more pain or injury. With these exercises, your brain will come to understand that certain movements can be carried out 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 the surrounding tissues. Your West Alton, MO physical therapist will use their hands to safely put pressure on your muscles and joints. Research demonstrates that manual therapy combined with guided exercise is more effective than either treatment method used alone.

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

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new technique that is becoming more popular among West Alton, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to gently create small tears or rips in inflamed muscles and connective tissue. In doing so, it encourages the body to start to heal itself and encourages the nutrient-rich blood flow to the affected body part.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes on the skin near where you are experiencing pain. It sends low-voltage electrical currents to release endorphins and awakens nerve cells that block the transmission of pain messages.

Patient Education

Understanding why you’re experiencing pain and how to cope with it can have a significant positive effect on your chronic pain treatment in West Alton, MO. We’ll teach you appropriate posture and movement techniques, in addition to healthy lifestyle suggestions like diet recommendations.

Other conditions we treat in West Alton, MO include:

• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation
• Pain Management Services
• TMJ Treatment
• Herniated Disc Treatment
• Rotator Cuff Tear Treatment
• Running Injury

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in West Alton, MO, our objectives are clear: to deliver positive client outcomes and help our patients get back to the things they love doing most. Whether you want to be able to hit a breakaway layup like you used to, or just want to walk up the stairs without discomfort, speak to a physical therapist in West Alton, MO today or make an appointment online for meaningful chronic pain treatment.