Mobility in Chain of Rocks, MO. Our bodies are meant to to make walking and other movements easy. But sometimes, our bodies don’t work the way they should and it prevents 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 Chain of Rocks, MO offers safe, effective, and evidence-backed solutions that are built specifically to you, your age, and your desired activity level. No matter if your mobility limitations are the result of acute trauma, a degenerative condition, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, begin your journey to optimal mobility and comfort 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 of us that is as simple as picking up their grandchildren without pain, while for others it may mean serving an ace on the tennis court. Whatever it means to you, if you can’t live the life you want pain-free consult with a physician about professional physical therapy and movement health services.

Functional Mobility in Chain of Rocks, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to safely and efficiently get around their home. This can be simple tasks such as getting in and out of bed or getting in and out of the shower safely. 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 places, for example from a chair, bed, or sofa to another.
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 tasks above without the aid of a person or assistive device, the Chain of Rocks, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are dedicated to helping you regain your independence. 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 the best possible movement health. Part of your treatment will likely be simple and safe strengthening, balance, and flexibility exercises. Our therapists are also highly trained in vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause dizziness and vertigo.

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

1. Complete independence, meaning you can move in a certain way safely and in a relatively normal amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you need a device such as crutches to complete the task
3. Supervision, meaning you can perform the movement by yourself but need someone standing by so you don’t hurt yourself
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while someone else helps you the rest of the way
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can perform about 50% of the work required
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 can complete less than 25% of the task, or that even testing whether or not you can do it is not safe

At Axes Physical Therapy in Chain of Rocks, MO, your personalized 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 comprehensive evaluation of your health to verify that the exercises we have in mind for you are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Chain of Rocks, MO

Obviously, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just rolling over in bed independently. There are doubles to hit in your softball league, your pets to play with, and the job-related tasks you need to carry out every day so that you can put food on the table for your Chain of Rocks, MO family. At Axes, we offer comprehensive physical and occupational physical therapy that 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 an essential part of getting you back to work after a work-related injury. We team up with you and your physician, insurance carrier, attorney and employer so you can get back to contributing to 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 functional capacities you are capable of.
• Sports therapy — The worst-case scenario for any athlete is a sudden pop or crack that keeps them inactive and limited for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. Our Chain of Rocks, MO physical therapy team is experienced in helping 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 reduce the risk of having to go through an injury again.
• 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 work with your physician and surgeons to form a complete surgical team to help you feel confident in your treatment, and formulate an effective plan of action to restore optimal mobility.

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 what physical therapy can do for you, or come see us for a no-obligation injury screening from a qualified physical or occupational therapist.

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

The four determinants 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 ensures that no muscle is disproportionately strong or weak. 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, our muscles, ligaments, and other soft tissue need to be able to lengthen so that the joints they control and protect can function properly.
• Balance — Balance issues are typically caused by:
  • Vision issues
  • A vestibular issue, or something in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, the receptors in our muscles that monitor length, tension, pressure and noxious stimuli

An experienced physical therapist in Chain of Rocks, MO will find the root of your limitations in mobility and develop a treatment plan, based on empirical research to get you back to the activities you love. In addition to therapeutic 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 good posture education

If required, a physical therapist in Chain of Rocks, 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 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 improve your movement health, you’ll also see the following benefits:

• Pain relief for both acute and chronic conditions without the need of prescription medications
• If applicable, the potential to avoid surgery by stimulating the body’s own healing methods
• 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 better physical health, which leads to enhanced energy, decreases your odds of developing cardiovascular disease, contributes to a healthy weight, improves your mood, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in Chain of Rocks, 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 Chain of Rocks, 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 arthritis, or want to get back on the field after a sports injury, Axes’ team of licensed physical and occupational therapists will develop and implement the treatment plan that works best for you. We take a client-centered approach. To get back your independence and active lifestyle, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or reach out to the location nearest for you.