Mobility in Arcadia, MO. Our bodies are meant to be on the go. But sometimes, our bodies don’t work the way they should and it impedes us from our favorite activities, or even just being able to carry out or daily live pain-free. While losing your independence because of losing your mobility can affect our mental health as well, Axes Physical Therapy in Arcadia, MO can provide you with safe, effective, and evidence-backed solutions that are customized specifically to you and your needs. Whether your mobility is limited because of an injury, a disease, or a musculoskeletal condition such as sciatica, begin your journey to your best possible movement health and a pain-free daily life as soon as possible by requesting a free evaluation with Axes today or calling the location nearest you.

The one definition of mobility is, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some Arcadia, MO residents that is as simple as rolling over in bed without pain, while others have more active lifestyle desires like making a diving catch in their softball league. Whatever you need to improve your movement health for, if your mobility is severely restricted consult with a physician about professional physical therapy services.

Functional Mobility in Arcadia, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to complete daily tasks. This includes anything from rolling over in bed or bringing a cup of coffee to another room and sitting down. In general, functional mobility is typically though of in three different ways:

1. Bed mobility — Your ability to easily move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Whether or not you are able to switch between surfaces, for example from one chair to another.
3. Ambulation — Your ability to walk freely without the need of assistance. This also includes walking while being able to carry objects.

While the injury or condition affecting your functional mobility may mean that you currently rely on assistance in order to operate in your daily life, the Arcadia, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are devoted to helping you regain your autonomy. Whether your currently limited functional mobility was caused by an ACL tear, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a central nervous system disorder like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll design a tailor-made plan that safely and correctly helps you reach optimal mobility. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility training. Our therapists are also highly trained in vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause dizziness and vertigo.

Arcadia, MO physical therapists often use the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) of seven levels to evaluate someone’s functional mobility:

1. Complete independence, meaning you are able to move in a certain way without assistance and in a relatively normal amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you need a device such as a walker to complete the task
3. Supervision, meaning you can complete the task independently but need someone to monitor you to prevent risk of injury
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while a physical therapist does the rest
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can perform about half of the work necessary
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can complete about 25% of the task yourself
7. Total assistance or not testable, meaning you can complete less than 25% of the task, or that even testing whether or not you can do it could lead to you becoming hurt

At Axes Physical Therapy in Arcadia, MO, your personalized treatment plan may include safely taking you up through the seven levels, or at least to the highest level possible. All of our methods are based on what research says can improve your mobility, and when you and your licensed physical therapist first meet, they will perform a thorough examination of your health to confirm that the treatment modalities we use are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Arcadia, MO

Obviously, simply walking up the stairs pain-free does not define optimal movement health for many of us. There are corners to burn on the football field, your pets to pick up, and the physical demands of the job you carry out every day so that you can earn a living for your Arcadia, MO family. At Axes, we offer comprehensive physical and occupational physical therapy that can help any individual improve mobility they need to get back to the activities they love. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our Arcadia, MO occupational therapists are essential to your recovery when an injury or condition limits the mobility needed to to do your hob. We serve as an integral member of your workers’ compensation team so you can get back to being an integral member of our Arcadia, MO community and providing for your family as you want to. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to determine if you are ready to return to your job.
• Sports therapy — The last thing any athlete wants to experience is an unexpected fall or collision that keeps them off the field or court for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. If you suffer an ACL tear, rotator cuff tear, or other sports injury, Axes Physical Therapy in Arcadia, MO will help you regain your mobility and get you back on the field or court as soon as is safely possible. Our Certified Athletic Trainers are big believers in teaching injury prevention to help you avoid re-injury.
• Pre/post surgical rehabilitation — Surgery makes anyone anxious. Whether your surgery is a matter of choice or a strong recommendation from a physician, we’ll team up with the doctors recommending and performing your surgery to help you feel confident in your treatment, and formulate a successful game plan to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and lifestyle you are trying to get back to, consult with your Arcadia, MO doctor about whether they think getting you a prescription for physical therapy is right for you, or come see us for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening from a qualified physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Arcadia, MO Can Help Improve Your Mobility

The four tenets of mobility are our strength, flexibility, range of motion, and balance:

• Strength — While physical therapy can help rebuild muscle after an injury and slow the weakening of muscles as we age, it also helps achieve muscle balance. Surrounding our joints with healthy and equally strong muscles is crucial in preventing injury and improving your mobility.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To reach the movement health and lifestyle we desire, not only do our muscles need to have the strength to control bones, but our muscles, tendons, and other soft tissue need to be able to lengthen, and our joints need to be able to perform a wide variety of movements.
• Balance — Problems with balance are typically caused by:
  • Vision issues
  • A vestibular condition, or a problem in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, the sense of awareness ingrained in our muscles and joints

A licensed physical therapist in Arcadia, MO will be able to identify the source of your limitations in mobility and develop a treatment plan, based on empirical research to get you back to the lifestyle you enjoy most. Beyond therapeutic strength, flexibility, and core exercises, We can help you improve your mobility with:

• Soft tissue mobilization
• Kinesio Taping®
• Trigger point dry needling
• Blood flow restriction training
• Posture correction and teaching correct posture

If your doctor and therapy team agree, a physical therapist in Arcadia, MO can also fit you for medically accepted assistive devices such as splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to help you achieve the best possible mobility.

How Physical Therapy in Arcadia, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

The benefits of physical therapy go beyond just getting around easier, getting back to work, or getting back on the field. As we work to improve your movement health, you’ll also see the following benefits:

• Pain relief, whether from an injury or pain that is chronic in nature without the need of painkillers or opioids
• Depending on the nature of your mobility limitations, the opportunity to avoid surgery by encouraging the body’s natural way of healing itself
• Patient education, including exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home with no risk to injury, what you can do to prevent injuries, and the best postures for improved mobility
• Encouraging you to maintain an active lifestyle, which leads to increased energy, decreases your odds of developing heart disease, contributes to a healthy weight, improves your mood, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in Arcadia, MO include:

• 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

Mobility in Arcadia, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you need hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to use a computer, are in need of meaningful pain management for sciatica, or need to return to optimal movement health following a devastating injury, Axes’ team of licensed physical and occupational therapists is here to help you get back to what you love doing most. We pride ourselves on our leads to positive patient outcomes. To get back your independence and active lifestyle, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location nearest for you.