Joint Pain in St. Peters, MO. If immobilizing joint pain is making your life more painful then it used to be, the qualified physical and occupational therapists of Axes PT will help you get back to the activities in St. Peters, MO you love the most. Whether you are experiencing chronic pain, recently received a diagnosis, or sustained an injury, we’ll form a dedicated team with you to develop a treatment plan that has been demonstrated to be successful that is unique to you to help significantly alleviate your pain. Our practice is client-centered, and achieving positive, pain-free outcomes. If you want to get back to owning your local kickball 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. Peters, MO residents. In the United States, an estimated 25% of adults live with joint pain. While it can be severely debilitating, meaningful relief is attainable. It’s a good idea to see a doctor before starting physical therapy. While no remedy is guaranteed to make everyone 100% pain free, physical therapy has countless people with joint pain improve their daily lives. Contact Axes for safe, effective, and customized treatment in St. Peters, MO.

Understanding Joint Pain | St. Peters, MO Physical Therapy

There are many different kinds of joints in human anatomy, but they all join bones together. There are three classes of joints:

1. Synarthrosis joints allow for no movement, meaning they connect bones but cannot move, for example the gomphoses in your cranium.
2. Amphiarthrosis joints are partially moveable, for example the vertebrae in the spine.
3. Diarthrosis joints, also called synovial joints, make most of the movements our bodies make possible. Examples are your wrist knee. There are six types of synovial joints:
   1. Pivot, which allows rotation around a single point
   2. Plane or gliding, which allows movement up and down, left and right, and diagonally
   3. Hinge, which permits bending and straightening in a single direction
   4. Condyloid, which allows side to side and circular movements
   5. Saddle, which also allow for side to side and circular movements
   6. Ball-and-socket joints allow the highest degree of movement and including rotational mobility

A human adult has 206 bones which are bridged by almost 400 joints. The majority of them are synovial joints, which are made up of:

• Cartilage — Cartilage is a connective tissue that covers the surface of the joint. It allows for smooth movement and shock absorption.
• 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 lowers friction between the joint and bone.
• Ligaments — Ligaments are bands of durable connective tissue that connect bone to bone, 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 muscles and bones and allow us to move our limbs.
• Bursae — These are fluid-filled sacs between bones and surrounding tissues that act as a cushion and reduce friction between the moving parts of a joint.
• Joint Cavity — This is in the middle of the joint and holds the synovial fluid.

Our brain sends us pain signals when we are injured to tell us that something is wrong. When you suffer joint pain, that means the joint cannot function properly Your brain wants you to know it needs attention. Demonstrably effective physical therapy in St. Peters, MO is often the best way to treat joint pain.

What Leads to Joint Pain | St. Peters, MO Physical Therapy

There are several conditions that can cause immobilizing joint pain. Those conditions can range in severity; some are not entirely curable but meaningful relief is possible. Other times joints can fully recover in a matter of weeks. All of them, however, require a smart treatment plan and the guidance of a knowledgeable physical and occupational therapist in St. Peters, 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 between bones. It typically occurs with old age, repeated trauma, or overuse.

Rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus are autoimmune conditions wherein your immune system incorrectly attacks healthy tissue, most often in the joints.

While we have yet to find a a cure for arthritis, improved mobility and reduced pain can be achieved with evidence-backed physical therapy by reducing the stress placed on the joint with improved strength and flexibility. In addition to physical therapy, treatment for arthritis often includes medication and, in some cases, surgery. The St. Peters, MO physical therapists at Axes will work directly with you and your doctor to put together a customized treatment plan aimed at bringing piece and mobility back to your everyday life.

Bursitis

Bursitis leads to joint pain when the bursae become swollen and cannot cushion the joint as well. It can be caused by overuse, injury, repeated motions, or, uncommonly, infection. The majority of bursitis cases involve the shoulder, hip, elbow, and knee. Effective physical therapy treatments along with patient education can help prevent further trauma and maintain strength and flexibility in the surrounding muscles. Taking precautions and following a treatment plan can return you to normal in a few weeks.

Tendinitis

Tendinitis can be a joint pain culprit when the tendons around the joint become swollen or damaged. It is caused by actions involving repetitive motions such as pitching in baseball. is also a common sports injury. It’s most common in the shoulders, heels, elbows, and knees. Physical therapy will lightly strengthen and elongate the tendon to make further injuries less likely. If a tendon becomes torn, a physician may advise surgery.

Sprains and Tears

Sprains occur when a ligament is stretched or torn due to falling, buckling, or direct force to the area. Tears transpire when a ligament, tendon, or muscle is ripped. While you may be able to recover from a sprain in a few weeks, recovering from a tear is much more difficult. Tears like rotator cuff tears and ACL tears can be incredibly painful and profoundly impact your ability to perform basic tasks.

If you have joint pain that won’t go away, take advantage of our free injury screenings with one of our joint pain experts in St. Peters, MO. If a physician tells you you need surgery, we’ll work with you to create a personalized pre- and post-surgery rehabilitation plan.

How Physical Therapy in St. Peters, MO Can Help Your Joint Pain

No one St. Peters, MO resident’s joint pain is exactly like someone else’s, so we’ll cater your treatment based on the cause and level of your joint pain, how old you are, how your pain affects your ability to work, and the lifestyle you want to get back to or achieve. We’ll work with you to show you safe and effective exercises that you can perform at home after your treatment plan is completed, so you can continue to manage any future pain and prevent further injuries.

While most of us don’t want to try and do anything that might lead to more joint pain, immobility will only exacerbate your symptoms in the end. At Axes, our St. Peters, MO physical and occupational therapists are pros; we know how to help you enhance mobility and strength without causing further pain. We can also teach you how to better protect your joints with posture correction and other patient education.

Depending on the specifics of your joint pain, we may use the following treatments in St. Peters, MO:

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

Click on the links below to see what other services we offer in St. Peters, MO:

• Neck Pain Treatment
• 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

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

While joint pain, and other issues that require physical therapy, is a physical burden, it can also affect us emotionally by not letting us to what makes us happy in life. At Axes PT, every one of our professional St. Peters, MO occupational and physical therapists is committed to getting you back to the activities you love. We believe the best way to get our patients back to optimal health and a pain-free life is by working with them as a team and implementing treatment plans tailored specifically to them. Everything we do has been proven to be effective. If you’re finally ready to be free of your joint pain in St. Peters, MO, contact Axes today or call the most convenient location for you.