Chronic Pain Treatment in Winfield, MO

Chronic pain treatment in Winfield, MO. If you suffer from chronic pain, you know all too well how hard it is to express how much it limits you. 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 completing basic tasks like carrying in groceries, or the things we love doing the most, whether that be flying down the field or picking up your children.

Axes Physical Therapy is a collection of provider-owned physical therapy and rehabilitation centers devoted to helping our Winfield, MO patients achieve positive outcomes through personalized chronic pain treatment plans, based on techniques that have been demonstrated to work. To get back to a pain-free daily life, call our location nearest you or contact us online for successful chronic pain treatment.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that lasts for longer than 12 weeks, which is how long it takes most people and conditions to heal. The pain can be constant or can come and go, can be localized or hit different muscles or joints, and can change in severity from aching to agonizing pain.

Based on research from the CDC, in 2019 20.4% of adults nationwide dealt with chronic pain. 7.4% of adults (or 36.4% of those who experienced chronic pain) had “high-impact” chronic pain, which is persistent pain affects how somebody can work or perform other activities. Anyone who suffers from frequent pain symptoms will tell you that it causes far more than just physical discomfort. Chronic pain impacts quality of life and leads to higher medical expenses. It can also lead to anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Why Do People Experience Chronic Pain?

Pain, in general, is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Often, pain is due to trauma, an infection, or other medical condition. “Acute pain” occurs suddenly, usually because of a known, underlying cause such as stubbing your toe, dental work, or surgery. It can last for anywhere from a moment to months while the injury heals.

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 an illness, or occurs as our bodies wear down as we age. Sometimes, there is no discernible 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 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 cause low 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 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 other parts inside your body.
• Fibromyalgia — While experts are still trying to understand the exact cause of fibromyalgia, this refers to pain that affects your muscles and joints throughout your body.
• Neurogenic pain and psychogenic pain — In some cases, there is no underlying musculoskeletal cause, but because there is an issue in the nervous system, or because of psychological stress.

There are many pointers for relieving chronic pain, and while many can lead to greater comfort, many people we see in Winfield, MO 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 the things that are most important to them.

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

Chronic pain can be treated through a variety of methods in Winfield, MO, including prescription or over-the-counter drugs, chiropractic adjustments, massage, and consistent exercise. Studies show that including physical therapy into your treatment plan can lead to significant improvement. You are welcome to visit any Axes location in the Winfield area for a free screening to better understand what might be causing your chronic pain. We’ll ask you questions to better understand how we can help you. Do you experience pain every day? Most days? 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 concert with you and your doctor to develop a tailor-made treatment plan aimed at getting you back to the things you love most.

Physical therapy can relieve pain by increasing your strength, balance, posture, and range of motion. Helping you achieve optimal movement health eases pain and improves your quality of life by allowing your body to function better, and disrupting certain body parts from sending pain messages to your brain. Depending on you, the nature of your chronic pain, your age, and the activity level you wish to get back to, your treatment plan in Winfield, MO may include:

Guided Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins, your body’s natural, feel-good hormone, which not only eases pain but helps with any depression, stress, and/or anxiety caused by your pain. A qualified Winfield, MO physical therapist will lead you through exercises aimed at improving your mobility without causing more pain or injury. With guided exercise, your brain will come to understand that certain movements can be achieved without pain, rebuilding your brain’s trust in the rest of your body. We’ll also show you light exercises you can do outside of our sessions.

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 Winfield, MO physical therapist will use their hands to gently move soft tissue. Studies have shown that manual therapy and guided exercise together are more effective than either technique used by itself.

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

Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new treatment method that is becoming more popular among Winfield, MO physical therapist. It involves using thin, filiform needles to penetrate damaged muscles and connective tissue. This eases pain as it stimulates the body’s “healing mode” and encourages the flow of blood to the region.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS works by placing electrodes on the skin near where you are experiencing pain. It delivers low-voltage currents, which releases endorphins and awakens nerve cells that block the transmission of pain signals.

Patient Education

Understanding the cause of your pain and how to cope with it can do wonders for your chronic pain treatment in Winfield, MO. We’ll teach you appropriate posture and movement techniques, as well as healthy lifestyle suggestions like diet recommendations.

Other conditions we treat in Winfield, MO include:

• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• 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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy in Winfield, MO, our objectives are simple: to deliver positive patient outcomes and help people return to 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 carry the groceries in pain-free, speak to a physical therapist in Winfield, MO today or schedule an appointment online for lasting chronic pain treatment.