Arcadia, MO

Arcadia, MO

Don't let a mental block over reinjury prevent you from participating in the things what you do best.

Injury Prevention in Arcadia, MO. Whether you’re an athlete trying to get a shot at the next stage, or a recent retiree who wants to spend more time hiking, don’t let the fear of reinjury keep you from the activities you love. While our licensed Arcadia, MO physical therapists work extensively with athletes and others to recover from injury, we are complete movement health specialists who can evaluate your movement, muscle and joint strength, and flexibility to teach out methods that are proven to reduce the risk of injury. Schedule an appointment at Axes Physical Therapy today or reach out to the location nearest you.

Being physically active is vitally important to many Arcadia, MO residents. We love active endeavors such as playing sports, biking, or other physical activities. Additionally, committing to an active lifestyle reduces the risk of chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, mental health issues, and many types of cancers. Not only can physical therapy with one of Axes’ licensed Arcadia, MO physical therapists allow you to come back and perform even better than before, but our injury prevention professionals can help you reduce the risk of further injury by improving your overall strength, flexibility, and posture. All of our methods, both when helping restore motion health and when looking to improve it, are proven to be effective and are developed uniquely for each client and the lifestyle they desire.

If you’ve recently sustained an injury, or have a persistent injury that just won’t go away, contact the Axes Physical Therapy location nearest you in Arcadia, MO for a free injury screening. To take preventative measures and ensure that you can keep up with your sport or hobby, read on below or call to speak to a physical therapist at your earliest convenience.

Types of Injuries We Prevent Prevent in Arcadia, MO

Most injuries fall into two categories:

  1. Chronic injuries are injuries that are caused by repetitive movements over time. In sports, we see them the most in in overhead athletes athletes who are required to repeat throwing or striking motions and typically reveal themselves with joint pain.
  2. Acute injuries are sudden and spontaneous. Examples include landing on uneven ground or a sudden impact by an object or another person. These can result in bruises, twisting joints, broken bones, and dislocations.

Some common injuries, for example rotator cuff tears, can either develop over time or occur suddenly. Other injuries, for example ACL tears, are almost always the result of trauma, with an immediate impact to or twisting of the knee.

Injury Prevention Arcadia, MO | Sports Therapy | Physical Therapy Near Arcadia

What Causes Injuries? | Injury Prevention in Arcadia, MO

While anyone can suffer an injury almost at any time and for numerous different reasons, they generally occur because your muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, and joints cannot hold up under the force, torque, or stretching that they are subjected to in a given movement or collision. There are three chief causes of why your body cannot handle an activity:

Muscle Imbalance

Muscle balance is essential to maintaining healthy joints and staving off injury. Imbalance can cause dependency on one set of muscles, causing it to perform actions it cannot do safely. It also causes posture dysfunction, and the weaker set of muscles will be pushed past its limit, resulting in failure and a higher probability of injury. Injuries can be caused by poor muscle balance between muscle groups, such as having a strong bicep and weak tricep, or in the same muscle group, such as an imbalance between the four muscles of the rotator cuff. Muscle imbalance can cause injury through:

Personalized injury prevention with our certified physical therapists in Arcadia, MO will ensure that your muscles are at optimal proportional strength.

Movement Dysfunction

Movement dysfunction can impact your stability and lead to your body moving in unnatural ways, increasing your risk of injury. It can be caused by a range of musculoskeletal issues. It can cause injury through:

  • Joint mobility restrictions
  • Muscle imbalance
  • Poor coordination
  • Lessened balance

At our first injury prevention appointment in Arcadia, MO, we’ll go through your medical history and perform a base evaluation to identify the root causes of your movement dysfunction. Then, together with your physician or any other providers treating you, we’ll devise a tailored treatment plan based on empirically-backed research and studies to get your movement back on track.

Posture Dysfunction

Bad posture doesn’t just affect people with desk jobs. Athletes and others with active lifestyles can be affected by postural dysfunction when resting, using the computer, or in certain positions they need to be in for a given activity. Good posture means proper positioning of the different joints and muscles of your body in a way that encourages our spine to stay in its natural curves. Poor posture can bring the joints in the spine closer together, which disrupts communication between your brain and body and makes it harder to attain ideal movement health. It can also lead to:

  • Muscle weakness
  • Muscle imbalance
  • Poor positioning
  • Joint mobility restrictions
  • Poor muscle recruitment

Good posture is a vital part of injury prevention because it ensures you are using the right muscles for the right movements, your flexibility is not jeopardized, and your spine is in its natural position.



Injury Prevention Methods in Arcadia, MO

All sports and physical activities carry an inherent risk of injury. No one safety tip is 100% foolproof in injury prevention. However, there are precautions to make sure your body is prepared for your desired activity level:

  • Take breaks — Injuries are more common in overworked bodies. If you have a very high activity level, one or two rest days a week will signal to your body to naturally heal any mild pain or soreness. If you have a more moderate activity level, take it easy after activity so your body doesn’t become too fatigued.
  • Use protective equipment — Helmets, shin guards, protective eyewear, and other equipment necessary in sports and other activities can help prevent injuries like bruises or concussions. If you’ve had a previous injury, your Arcadia, MO doctor or physical therapist may recommend braces or Kinesio Taping® to stabilize the injured area. Other measures like tying your shoes tightly offers further stabilization.
  • Strengthen muscles — Strengthening your muscles, tendons, and ligaments helps them withstand the rigors of heavy activity. Our Arcadia, MO injury prevention professionals will work to build up your body to safely participate in the activities you love.
  • Boost flexibility — Increasing your flexibility accomplishes three critical things for injury prevention:
    1. It increases which movements you can make and how far you can extend them, which allows for the tendons and ligaments connecting your muscles to your bones to handle more drastic movements.
    2. It improves blood flow, which allows for nutrient-rich blood to flow to your muscles, eliminating waste byproduct and revitalizing the muscles.
    3. It encourages good posture, which we already know is an an essential part of injury prevention.

    According to studies, sports like soccer that necessitate sudden twists and movements require soft tissue with sufficient flexibility to store and release the high levels of energy required. Stretching and warm up exercises before games or training further helps prevent injuries.

  • Use correct technique — In every physical activity, there is an accepted way to position and move your body. These techniques not only help you get be the best athlete you can be but help prevent injuries. Football players are taught to tackle a certain way to reduce the risk of brain damage, and rotational athletes like golfers and baseball players learn how to best apply torque to your body. We utilize DorsaVi video motion analysis to capture how you move and educate you on how to both be a better athlete and prevent injury.
  • Listen to your body — If a part of your body is bothering you, that means that body part is telling your brain that something is wrong. If you feel something suddenly that doesn’t feel right, immediately stop all physical activity and get the appropriate medical treatment. If your body isn’t holing up well in an intense workout, save it for another day.
  • Don’t play through an injury — While gutting it out through pain is often seen as commendable among competitors, forcing your body to perform with soft tissue or structural damage could aggravate a current injury and leave you on the sidelines for longer than it originally would have. Depending on what caused your injury and how severe it is, you may use methods like the R.I.C.E. method, visiting your doctor, and rehab with a physical therapist to ensure your body heals naturally and can handle the activity you want to return to.
  • Play by the rules — Depending on the sport or activity and age level of the participants, it likely has special rules in the interest of safety. Penalties for leading with the helmet in football, rules against slide-tackling in soccer, and even the existence of special lanes on the street and sidewalk for bikers are examples of rules that leagues enacted to prevent injuries to ourselves and others. Those were enacted for a reason, and there’s a reason that violations of those rules are punished.
  • Consult a licensed physical therapist — It’s a good idea to have a medical evaluation before another season begins or starting up a new activity or training regimen. While there, inquire with your doctor if injury prevention with a experienced physical therapist in Arcadia, MO is something you should consider. All of our techniques have been proven to prevent injury, and you plan will be completely unique to you and catered to your age, your injury history, and which activities you want to participate in.

Injury Prevention Arcadia, MO | Sports Therapy | Physical Therapy Near Arcadia

Injury Prevention for The Elderly in Arcadia, MO

Falls in adults over 65 were responsible for over 3 million urgent care visits and more than 34,000 fatalities. Research demonstrates that physical activity can go a long way in reducing the risk of falls. Other conditions such as arthritis that are wear and tear injuries can be more bearable and take longer to progress with physical therapy exercises that keep your soft tissue and joints active. While the physical demands for seniors may not be as high as an athlete, healthy strength, stability, flexibility, and correct posture are great agents in injury prevention.

Other services we offer in Arcadia, MO include:

Arcadia, MO Injury Prevention | Axes Physical Therapy

Being injured in one of your favorite activities causes a mental block that won’t allow us to experience the same joy. The experienced Arcadia, MO physical therapists at Axes are here to design for you a personalized injury prevention program that will keep your body as safe and healthy as can be, and your mind confident that you do not have to fear going back to what you love doing most. We will aid you in feeling the physical and mental health benefits that you do not want to lose. Schedule an appointment online or reach out to the location nearest you to see what our Arcadia, MO injury prevention specialists can do for you.

Services Offered

Services Offered
  • Physical Therapy
    • Pre/Post Surgical Rehabilitation
    • Acute Injury Management
    • Chronic Injury Management
  • Occupational Therapy
    • Certified Hand Therapy
  • Work Conditioning/Hardening
  • Functional Capacity Evaluations
  • Certified Hand Therapy
  • Sports Physical Therapy
  • Pediatric Orthopedic Physical Therapy
  • Geriatric Physical Therapy
  • Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization
  • Spine Specialty – Certified Manual Therapy
  • Vestibular Therapy and Post-Concussion Therapy
  • Free Injury Screenings
  • Kinesio Taping®
  • Blood Flow Restriction Therapy

Our Team

Stephen Brunjes
OTR/L, CEAS
Cassandra Wadlow
Front Office
Dena Rose
PT, CMPT, CHT
Anthony Meyer
PT, DPT, CMPT
Derrick Wolk
Partner, Clinic Director, MPT, CMPT
Kimberly Helm
Front Office Supervisor
Lisa Bell
Front Office

Locations

Begin Your Recovery Today

Injuries and pain shouldn’t keep you from moving and doing the things you love.