Joint Pain in St. Louis, MO. If immobilizing joint pain is preventing you from living the life you want to, the qualified physical and occupational therapists of Axes PT is here to get you back to the activities in St. Louis, MO you love the most. Whether you have chronic pain, recently received a diagnosis, or sustained an injury, we’ll work alongside you as a team to develop a treatment plan that has been demonstrated to be effective that is catered exactly to you to help you return to your pain-free life. Our practice based on giving you, the client, a remarkable experience. If you want to get back to dominating your local tennis league, or just want to pick up your grandchildren without pain, contact us online or find the nearest location for you.

Joint pain is limiting for many St. Louis, MO residents. In the United States, an estimated a quarter of adults live with joint pain. While it can be severely inhibiting, it doesn’t have to control your life. It is important to consult with a physician to see if physical therapy is safe for you. While no therapy is guaranteed to make everyone completely pain free, physical therapy has countless people with joint pain improve their daily lives. Contact Axes for safe, effective, and personalized treatment in St. Louis, MO.

Understanding Joint Pain | St. Louis, MO Physical Therapy

The human body has hundreds of joints, but they all share the function of connecting bones together. There are three classifications of joints:

1. Synarthrosis joints are immovable, help provide stability by holding bonds together, for instance the gomphoses in your skull.
2. Amphiarthrosis joints provide partial movement, such as the distal joint between the two shin bones.
3. Diarthrosis joints, also called synovial joints, make most of the movements our bodies make possible. Examples are your shoulder knee. There are six classes of diarthrosis joints:
   1. Pivot, which permits rotation around a single point
   2. Plane or gliding, which allows bones to glide over each other
   3. Hinge, which permits bending and straightening in a single direction
   4. Condyloid, which allows flexion, extension, and circular motions
   5. Saddle, which also allow for side to side and circular movements
   6. Ball-and-socket joints allow the greatest degree of movement and including rotational mobility

One fully grown, the human body has 206 bones which are connected by almost 400 joints. The majority of them are synovial joints, which are made up of:

• Cartilage — This is a connective tissue that covers the surface of the joint. Its purpose is to act as a shock absorber.
• Synovial membrane — This membrane lines many parts of the inside of synovial joints and tendon sheaths. It produces synovial fluid, a thick liquid that acts as a lubricant and reduces friction between the joint and bone.
• Ligaments — Ligaments are bands of firm connective tissue that connect two bones together, do not allow them to move unnaturally, and help you move properly. For example, the shoulder ligaments connect your humerus to your shoulder blade and prevent the shoulder from becoming unstable.
• Tendons — These are also durable similar in substance to ligaments that attaches muscle to bone.
• Bursae — These are fluid-filled sacs lining different parts of the joint that act as a cushion and reduce friction as your tendons, ligaments, and muscles glide over your bones.
• Joint Cavity — This is in the middle of the joint and is filled with the synovial fluid.

Our brain sends us pain signals when we are injured to let us know that something is wrong. When you feel joint pain, that means some part of the innerworkings of your joint are damaged and cannot function as they should Your brain wants you to know it needs attention. Demonstrably effective physical therapy in St. Louis, MO is often get your brain to quite down and stop sending you pain signals.

Common Causes of Joint Pain | St. Louis, MO Physical Therapy

Joint pain can occur because of a variety of conditions. Those conditions can range in severity; some cannot be cured but symptoms can be slowed down. In other cases we can be pain-free with full mobility in just a few weeks. All of them, however, require a well founded treatment plan and the guidance of a experienced physical and occupational therapist in St. Louis, MO like those at Axes. The most common causes of joint pain include:

Arthritis

Arthritis is an umbrella term that includes several different diagnoses. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, and degenerative joint disease characterized by the wearing down of the cartilage at the end of your bones. Old age is the most common risk factor, but overuse and repeated trauma can also be to blame.

Rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus are autoimmune disorders wherein your immune system erroneously attacks healthy tissue, usually in the joints.

While as far as modern medicine goes arthritis cannot be cured, improved mobility and reduced pain can be achieved with evidence-backed physical therapy by boosting flexibility and strengthening the muscles around the joint. Physical therapy is an aspect of arthritis treatment along with medications, supplements, and topical treatments. The St. Louis, MO physical therapists at Axes will work directly with you and your physician to come up with a holistic treatment plan with the objective of bringing piece and mobility back to your everyday life.

Bursitis

Bursitis causes joint pain when the bursae become inflamed and cannot cushion the joint as well. It can be because of overuse, a blow to the joint, repeated motions, or, uncommonly, infection. It most commonly occurs in the shoulder, hip, elbow, and knee. Effective physical therapy treatments along with patient education can go a long way in preventing future flare-ups and maintain strength and flexibility in the surrounding muscles. With the right treatment, bursitis can go away within a month.

Tendinitis

Tendinitis can be a joint pain culprit when the tendons around the joint become swollen or injured. It is caused by activities that require repetitive motions such as landscaping work. is also a common sports injury. It usually occur in the shoulders, heels, elbows, and knees. Physical therapy will gently strengthen and elongate the tendon to prevent further injuries. If a tendon is ruptured, a physician may advise surgery.

Sprains and Tears

Sprains transpire when a ligament is extended or torn as a result of twisting, buckling, or direct force to the area. Tears transpire when a ligament, tendon, or muscle is ripped. While the recovery time for a sprain is usually a few weeks, tears usually require many months to recover from. Tears like rotator cuff tears and ACL tears can cause immense pain and profoundly impact your ability to perform daily activities.

If joint pain is keeping you from the activities you love, consider one of our free injury screenings with one of our joint pain professionals in St. Louis, MO. If your joint pain is severe enough to require surgery, we’ll work with you to create a personalized pre- and post-surgery rehabilitation plan.

What Physical Therapy in St. Louis, MO Can Do for Your Joint Pain

We assess each St. Louis, MO patients as an individual, so your specific treatment plan will be based on the underlying reasons for and degree of your joint pain, your age, your occupational needs, and the lifestyle you want to get back to or achieve. As we progress through our treatment, we’ll show you exercises you can perform at home safely, so you can continue to find long-term pain relief and go on to enjoy the best possible range of motion.

While most of us don’t want to try and do anything that might lead to more joint pain, the truth is that by not moving affected joints the pain and stiffness may only get worse. At Axes, our St. Louis, MO physical and occupational therapists know what they’re doing; we will help you enhance mobility and strength without causing further pain. We can also teach you how to reduce strain on joints with posture correction and other techniques.

Depending on you, your joint pain, and your needs, we may use the following treatments in St. Louis, MO:

• Dry Needling
• Work Rehabilitation
• Injury Prevention
• Soft Tissue Mobilization
• Kineseo Taping®
• Blood Flow Restriction Training

Check out the links below to see what other services we offer in St. Louis, MO:

• Physical Therapy Clinic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy

Joint Pain Relief in St. Louis, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

While joint pain, and any kind of pain, can take a physical toll, it can also affect us mentally by keeping us away from the things we enjoy. At Axes PT, our entire team of knowledgeable St. Louis, MO occupational and physical therapists is dedicated to seeing you be able to participate in the activities you love. All of our treatment plans are evidence-based and tailored to you, with the only interest being getting you a positive patient outcome. All of our techniques have been backed by science. If you’ve been waiting to move on from your joint pain in St. Louis, MO, contact Axes today or call the most convenient location for you.