Mobility in Cedar Hill, MO. Our bodies are designed to to make walking and other movements easy. But sometimes, our mobility is impeded and it keeps us from the activities we love. While losing your independence because of losing your mobility also have an impact on our emotional well-being, Axes Physical Therapy in Cedar Hill, MO can create safe, effective, and proven treatment plans that are customized specifically to getting you back to the life you want to live. No matter if your mobility limitations are the result of an injury, a disease, or a musculoskeletal problem such as sciatica, start on the road back to optimal movement health and meaningful pain relief now by requesting a free evaluation with Axes today or calling the location nearest you.

The dictionary defines mobility as, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some people that looks like getting in and out of a chair without pain, while others need to get back to making a diving catch in their softball league. Whatever mobility means to you, if your mobility is severely restricted speak with your doctor about professional physical therapy services.

Functional Mobility in Cedar Hill, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to complete daily tasks. This can be simple tasks such as comfortably laying down in bed each night or walking up a flight of stairs. Fundamentally, functional mobility is typically though of in three different ways:

1. Bed mobility — Your ability to scoot, roll, and get in and out of bed comfortably.
2. Transfers — Your ability to switch between places, for example from a chair, bed, or sofa to another.
3. Ambulation — Whether or not you can walk, and can do so while carrying things.

If you currently need assistance to be functionally mobile, the Cedar Hill, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are committed to helping you restore your self-sufficiency. Whether your currently limited functional mobility was caused by a sports injuryan rotator cuff tear tear, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a a progressive disorder like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll guide you through your journey to the best possible mobility. Part of your treatment will likely be simple and safe strengthening, balance, and flexibility training. Our therapists are also specialists vestibular therapy for people who have a debilitating vestibular disorder.

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

1. Complete independence, meaning you can move in a certain way safely and without taking an excessive 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 for safety
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can exert 75% of the effort needed to complete the task or more while someone else does the rest
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can exert 50% of the effort necessary
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can complete about 25% of the task without assistance
7. Total assistance or not testable, meaning you are unable to put in a quarter of the effort required, or that the activity is not safe to test

At Axes Physical Therapy in Cedar Hill, MO, your customized treatment plan may include safely allowing you more and more independence until you get the highest level you can. All of our treatment plans are proven to be safe and effective through extensive clinical studies, and when you and your licensed physical therapist first meet, they will perform a thorough examination of your health to verify that the treatment modalities we use are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Cedar Hill, MO

To be sure, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just walking up the stairs pain-free. There are pickleball leagues to dominate, fun activities to share with your family, and the vocational tasks you need to perform every day so that you can provide for your Cedar Hill, MO family. At Axes, we offer comprehensive physical and occupational physical therapy that can help any athlete, worker, or family member achieve the activity level they desire. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our Cedar Hill, MO occupational therapists are an essential part of getting you back to work after a work-related injury. We serve as an integral member of your workers’ compensation team so you can get back to contributing to our Cedar Hill, MO community and providing for your family as you always have. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to ascertain what functional capacities you are capable of.
• Sports therapy — The last thing any athlete wants to experience is an unexpected fall or collision that keeps them inactive and limited for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. Our Cedar Hill, MO physical therapy team knows how to help those who are sidelined because of ACL tears, rotator cuff tears, and a variety of other injuries. Our Certified Athletic Trainers can also educate you on the specifics of injury prevention to help you stay off the sidelines.
• Pre/post surgical rehabilitation — Surgery is a complex and nerve-racking procedure for anyone. 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 give you piece of mind, and develop a proven game plan to restore optimal mobility.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and the extent to wish you want to improve it, consult with your Cedar Hill, MO doctor about whether or not physical therapy is advisable, or visit one of our locations for a free injury screening from a professional physical or occupational therapist.

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

Our mobility is based on our strength, flexibility, range of motion, and balance:

• Strength — While physical therapy is effective at rebuilding and maintaining strength, it also ensures that no muscle is disproportionately strong or weak. Surrounding our joints with healthy and equally strong muscles is vital to preventing injury and reaching optimal movement health.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To improve our mobility to the highest level we can, not only do our muscles need to have the strength to control bones, but our muscles, ligaments, 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 — Frequent causes of balance issues include:
  • Vision issues
  • A vestibular condition, or something in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, or the network between your sensory receptors and your nervous system

An experienced physical therapist in Cedar Hill, MO will be able to identify the source of your mobility issues and come up with a treatment plan, based on evidence to improve your movement health. In addition to restorative strength, flexibility, and core exercises, other evidence-backed techniques may include:

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

If necessary, a physical therapist in Cedar Hill, MO can also create custom medically accepted assistive devices such as splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to aid you in your mobility and reduce risk of injury.

How Physical Therapy in Cedar Hill, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

Physical therapy does more than just increase strength and flexibility. As we work to improve your movement health, you’ll also enjoy:

• Pain relief for both acute and chronic conditions without the need of prescription medications
• If applicable, the opportunity to avoid a surgical procedure by stimulating the body’s natural way of healing itself
• Mobility education, including physical therapy techniques you can safely do at home, what you can do to prevent injuries, and correct posture
• Motivating 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 Cedar Hill, 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 Cedar Hill, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you are looking for hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to write, are looking for meaningful pain management for joint problems, 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 the activities you love. We take a client-centered approach. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or reach out to the location that works best for you.