Mobility in Chain of Rocks, MO. Our bodies are built to be on the go. But sometimes, our bodies don’t work the way they should and it prevents us from doing what we love most. While experiencing pain and other factors that affect mobility can affect our mental health as well, Axes Physical Therapy in Chain of Rocks, MO offers safe, effective, and evidence-backed treatment plans that are built specifically to you, your age, and your desired activity level. Whether your mobility is limited because of an injury, a degenerative condition, or a musculoskeletal issue such as sciatica, take the first steps in optimal movement health and comfort now by requesting an appointment with Axes today or calling the location nearest you.

The dictionary definition of mobility is, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some of us that looks like walking up the stairs without pain, while others need to get back to serving an ace on the tennis court. Whatever you need to improve your movement health for, if you can’t live the life you want comfortable consult with your doctor about professional physical therapy services.

Functional Mobility in Chain of Rocks, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to complete daily tasks. This can be anything from rolling over in bed or walking up a flight of stairs. Fundamentally, functional mobility is typically though of in three different ways:

1. Bed mobility — Whether or not you are able to to scoot, roll, and get in and out of bed comfortably.
2. Transfers — Your ability to move from one surface to another, for example from a bed to a chair.
3. Ambulation — Your ability to walk freely without the need of assistance. This also includes walking while being able to carry objects.

If you cannot currently complete some or all of the activities above without a person or assistive device helping you, the Chain of Rocks, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are devoted to getting your independence back. Whether your currently limited functional mobility was caused by a sports injuryan rotator cuff tear tear, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a degenerative condition like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll guide you through your journey to optimal mobility. Part of your treatment will likely be simple and safe strengthening, balance, and flexibility movements. We also offer vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause sensory dysfunction.

Chain of Rocks, MO physical therapists often utilize the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) of seven levels to assess 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. Stand-by assist, meaning you can perform the movement by yourself but need someone standing by to prevent risk of injury
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 half of the effort needed
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can put in a quarter of the work of the task yourself
7. Total assistance or not testable, meaning you are unable to put in 25% of the work required, or that the activity is not safe to test

At Axes Physical Therapy in Chain of Rocks, MO, your tailor-made treatment plan may include safely allowing you more and more independence until you get the highest level you can. All of our methods are proven to be safe and effective through extensive clinical studies, and at your first appointment with your professional physical therapist, they will perform a comprehensive evaluation of your health to verify that the treatment modalities we use are safe for someone suffering from the same ailment you are.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Chain of Rocks, MO

Needless to say, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just being to move between furniture without assistance. There are pickleball leagues to dominate, fun activities to share with your family, and the job-related tasks you need to perform every day so that you can provide for your Chain of Rocks, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any athlete, worker, or family member improve mobility they need to get back to the activities they love. Our services also include:

• Occupational therapy — Our Chain of Rocks, MO occupational therapists are essential to your recovery when an injury or condition does not allow you to carry out the tasks of your job. We serve as an integral member of your workers’ compensation team so you can get back to being an integral member of our Chain of Rocks, MO community and providing for your family as you always have. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to determine what activity level you can safely carry out.
• Sports therapy — The worst-case scenario for anyone who loves playing sports is a sudden fall or collision that keeps them inactive and limited for weeks, months, or longer. If you suffer an ACL tear, rotator cuff tear, or other sports injury, Axes Physical Therapy in Chain of Rocks, MO will help you restore your mobility and get you back on the field or court as soon as is safely possible. Our Certified Athletic Trainers can also educate you on the specifics of injury prevention to help you reduce the risk of having to go through an injury again.
• Pre/post surgical rehabilitation — Surgery is a complex and nerve-racking procedure for anyone. Whether your surgery is elective or medically necessary, we’ll team up with the doctors recommending and performing your surgery to ease your worry, and formulate a proven game plan to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

However limited you currently are in your mobility, and lifestyle you are trying to get back to, consult with your Chain of Rocks, MO doctor about whether they think getting you a prescription for physical therapy is right for you, or come see us for a no-obligation injury screening from a licensed physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Chain of Rocks, MO Can Help Improve Your Mobility

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

• Strength — While physical therapy is effective at rebuilding and maintaining strength, it also helps achieve muscle balance. Surrounding our joints with healthy and equally strong muscles is crucial in preventing injury and reaching optimal movement health.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To achieve optimal movement health, 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 — Balance issues are commonly due to:
  • Problems with eyesight
  • A vestibular issue, or a problem in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, the receptors in our muscles that monitor length, tension, pressure and noxious stimuli

A professional physical therapist in Chain of Rocks, MO will determine what is causing your mobility issues and come up with a safe and effective treatment plan to improve your movement health. In addition to restorative strength, flexibility, and core exercises, your treatment plan may also include:

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

If your doctor and therapy team agree, a physical therapist in Chain of Rocks, 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 Chain of Rocks, 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 reach optimal movement health, you’ll also see the following benefits:

• Pain relief for both acute and chronic conditions without needing to depend on prescription medications
• In some cases, 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, injury prevention techniques, and the best postures for improved mobility
• Motivating you to maintain an active lifestyle, carries with it the benefits of enhanced energy, decreases your odds of developing heart disease, helps control weight, makes you feel better, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in Chain of Rocks, MO include:

• Shin Splint Treatment
• Direct Access Physical Therapy
• Gait Analysis
• Pelvic Floor Therapy
• Dry Needling Near Me
• Tendonitis Treatment
• Manual Physical Therapy
• Orthopedic Rehab Near Me
• Beginner Running Program
• Chronic Pain Treatment

Mobility in Chain of Rocks, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you are looking for hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to do basic everyday things, are looking for meaningful pain management for sciatica, or want to get back on the field after a sports 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 an approach that focuses on personalized treatment. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location that works best for you.