Joint Pain in Weldon Spring Heights, MO. If your ability to enjoy a pain-free life is jeopardized by joint pain, the knowledgeable physical and occupational therapists of Axes PT will help you get back to the activities in Weldon Spring Heights, MO you love the most. Whether you are experiencing chronic pain, were diagnosed with a condition, or sustained an injury, we’ll form a dedicated team with you to implement a treatment plan that has been demonstrated to be effective that is catered exactly to you to help significantly reduce your pain. Our practice is client-centered, and achieving positive, pain-free outcomes. If you want to get back to dominating your local basketball league, or just want to stand up and sit down without pain, contact us online or find the nearest location for you.
Joint pain affects many Weldon Spring Heights, MO residents. In the U.S., roughly one in four adults experience joint pain. While it can be significantly debilitating, meaningful relief is possible. You should always consult with a physician to see if physical therapy is right for you. While no remedy is guaranteed to make everyone entirely pain free, physical therapy has shown widespread success for clients with joint pain. Contact Axes for safe, effective, and customized treatment in Weldon Spring Heights, MO.
Understanding Joint Pain | Weldon Spring Heights, MO Physical Therapy
The many joints in human anatomy have many shapes, sizes, and purposes, but they all join bones together. There are three categories of joints:
- Synarthrosis joints are immovable, but provide strong connections between adjacent bones, such as the gomphoses in your head.
- Amphiarthrosis joints are slightly moveable, for example the distal joint between the two shin bones.
- Diarthrosis joints, also referred to as synovial joints, make most of the motions our bodies make possible. Examples are your ankle knee. There are six categories of diarthrosis joints:
- Pivot, which permits rotation around one point
- Plane or gliding, which allows movement up and down, left and right, and diagonally
- Hinge, which permits bending and straightening in a single direction
- Condyloid, which allows flexion, extension, and circular motions
- Saddle, which also allow for sideways and circular movements
- Ball-and-socket joints allow any of the movements the human body can naturally make
One fully grown, the human body has 206 bones which are linked by 360 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 cushions the bone against each other.
- Synovial membrane — This membrane lines the inner capsules of synovial joints and tendon sheaths. It produces synovial fluid, a thick liquid that acts as a lubricant and reduces friction when bones glide over each other.
- Ligaments — Ligaments are bands of firm and elastic tissue that connect two bones together, do not allow them to move unnaturally, and help you move properly. For example, the ACL connects your thigh bone with your shin bone and prevents the tibia from moving too far forward.
- Tendons — These are also durable similar in substance to ligaments that attaches your bones to the muscles that control their movement.
- Bursae — These are fluid-filled sacs between bones and surrounding tissues that act as a cushion and reduce friction as your tendons, ligaments, and muscles glide over your bones.
- Joint Cavity — This is the space between bones that holds the cartilage and synovial membrane.
Our brain sends us pain signals when we are injured to tell us that something is wrong. When you experience 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. Proven physical therapy in Weldon Spring Heights, MO is often get your brain to quite down and stop sending you pain signals.
Common Causes of Joint Pain | Weldon Spring Heights, MO Physical Therapy
There are numerous conditions that can cause persistent joint pain. Those conditions differ substantially in severity; some are not completely curable but meaningful relief is possible. Other times joints can be made healthy in just a few weeks. All of them, however, require a sound treatment plan and the stewardship of a knowledgeable physical and occupational therapist in Weldon Spring Heights, MO like those at Axes. Some conditions and events that can lead to joint pain include:
Arthritis
Arthritis is a broad term for several conditions that cause joint pain. Most people with arthritis suffer from osteoarthritis, which 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 are also associated causes.
Rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus are autoimmune diseases wherein your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, usually in the joints.
While as far as modern medicine goes arthritis cannot be cured, pain and other symptoms can be managed with evidence-backed physical therapy by increasing flexibility and building up strength in the muscles around the joint. Physical therapy is an aspect of arthritis treatment along with medications, supplements, and topical treatments. The Weldon Spring Heights, MO physical therapists at Axes will in concert 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 causes joint pain when the fluid-filled sacs lining your joints become inflamed and cannot reduce the friction between parts of the joint. It can be caused by overuse, trauma, repeated motions, or, uncommonly, infection. It most commonly occurs in the shoulder, hip, elbow, and knee. Effective flexibility and strength exercises, coupled with rest along with patient education can help prevent future 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 irritated. It is caused by actions that require repetitive motions such as in manual labor. is also a common sports injury. It usually occur in the shoulders, heels, elbows, and knees. Physical therapy will gently strengthen and lengthen the tendon to make further injuries less likely. If a tendon snaps, it may require surgery.
Sprains and Tears
Sprains cause joint pain when a ligament is stretched or torn because of twisting, landing awkwardly, or direct trauma to the area. Tears occur when a ligament, tendon, or muscle is ripped. While the recovery time for a sprain is usually a few weeks, tears often require many months to recover from. 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, come to Axes for one of our free injury screenings with one of our joint pain specialists in Weldon Spring Heights, MO. If a physician tells you you need surgery, come to us for your pre- and post-surgery rehabilitation plan.
What Physical Therapy in Weldon Spring Heights, MO Can Do for Your Joint Pain
No one Weldon Spring Heights, MO resident’s joint pain is exactly like someone else’s, so your specific treatment plan will be based on the cause and severity of your joint pain, your age, what you do for work, and the your desired activity level. 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 are hesitant to try and do anything that might cause more joint pain, immobility will only aggravate your symptoms in the end. At Axes, our Weldon Spring Heights, MO physical and occupational therapists are pros; we know how to help you enhance mobility and strength without causing further damage. We can also help you learn how to reduce strain on joints with posture correction and other patient education.
Depending on the specifics of your joint pain, your treatment plan in Weldon Spring Heights, MO may include:
- Dry Needling
- Work Rehabilitation
- Injury Prevention
- Soft Tissue Mobilization
- Kineseo Taping®
- Blood Flow Restriction Training
Take a look at the links below to see what other services we offer in Weldon Spring Heights, 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 Weldon Spring Heights, MO | Axes Physical Therapy
While joint pain, and other issues that require physical therapy, is a physical hardship, it can also affect us mentally by keeping us away from the things we enjoy. At Axes PT, our entire team of licensed Weldon Spring Heights, MO occupational and physical therapists is devoted 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. All of our techniques have been confirmed with research. If you’ve been waiting to move on from your joint pain in Weldon Spring Heights, MO, contact Axes today or call the most convenient location for you.
