Mobility in Dardenne Prairie, MO. Our bodies are built to move. But sometimes, our bodies don’t work the way they should and it impedes us from the activities we love. While experiencing pain and other factors that affect mobility also have an impact on our emotional well-being, Axes Physical Therapy in Dardenne Prairie, MO offers solutions that have been proven to be successful and that are tailored specifically to you, your age, and your desired activity level. No matter if your mobility is limited because of acute trauma, a chronic condition, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, take the first steps in optimal mobility and meaningful pain relief as soon as possible by scheduling a free evaluation with Axes today or calling the the one of our 15 locations nearest you.

The dictionary defines mobility as, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some people that may mean picking up their kids comfortably, while for others it may mean serving an ace on the tennis court. Whatever mobility means to you, if you can’t live the life you want pain-free speak with a physician to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Dardenne Prairie, MO

Functional mobility is the capacity one has to safely and efficiently get around their home. This can be simple tasks such as getting in and out of bed or walking up a flight of stairs. Fundamentally, there are three types of functional mobility:

1. Bed mobility — Your ability to easily move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Your ability to move from one place to a different one, for example from a bed to a chair.
3. Ambulation — Whether or not you can walk, and can do so while carrying things.

If you cannot currently complete some or all of the tasks above without a person or assistive device helping you, the Dardenne Prairie, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are dedicated to helping you regain your independence. Whether the condition affecting you is 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 optimal mobility. We will guide you in strengthening, balance, and flexibility exercises. Our therapists are also experts vestibular therapy for people who have a debilitating vestibular disorder.

Dardenne Prairie, MO physical therapists often utilize the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) of seven levels to assess someone’s functional mobility:

1. Complete independence, meaning you can move in a certain way without risk of injury and without taking an excessive amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you need a device such as crutches to complete the task
3. Stand-by assist, meaning you can perform the movement independently but need someone to monitor you for safety
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while a physical therapist helps you the rest of the way
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can perform about half of the work 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 effort required, or that even testing whether or not you can do it carries the risk of injury

At Axes Physical Therapy in Dardenne Prairie, MO, your tailor-made 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 proven to be safe and effective through extensive clinical studies, and your dedicated physical therapist will begin your mobility treatment with a thorough evaluation of your health to ensure that the treatment modalities we use are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Dardenne Prairie, MO

Obviously, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just being to move between furniture independently. There are doubles to hit in your softball league, your pets to pick up, and the vocational tasks you need to carry out every day in order to put food on the table for your Dardenne Prairie, 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 Dardenne Prairie, MO occupational therapists are vital 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 Dardenne Prairie, MO community and supporting your family the best way you can. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to ascertain what activity level you can safely carry out.
• Sports therapy — Every athletes worst nightmare is an unexpected pop or crack that sidelines them and keeps them from what they love 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 Dardenne Prairie, 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 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 work with your physician and surgeons to form a complete surgical team to help you feel confident in your treatment, and formulate a proven 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 Dardenne Prairie, MO doctor about what physical therapy can do for you, or visit one of our locations for a free injury screening from a qualified physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Dardenne Prairie, 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 to make sure no muscle is stronger or weaker than it should be in relation to the muscles around it. Achieving equal muscle balance around joints is imperative in preventing injury and improving your mobility.
• 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, 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 — Frequent causes of balance issues are:
  • Vision issues
  • A vestibular condition, or something in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, the sense of awareness ingrained in our muscles and joints

An experienced physical therapist in Dardenne Prairie, MO will be able to identify the source of your mobility issues and develop a safe and effective treatment plan to improve your movement health. In addition to 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 good posture education

If necessary, a physical therapist in Dardenne Prairie, MO can also mold your very own medically accepted assistive devices including splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to aid you in your mobility and reduce risk of injury.

How Physical Therapy in Dardenne Prairie, 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 having to use costly and potentially habit forming prescription drugs
• If applicable, the potential to avoid a surgical procedure by encouraging the body’s own healing methods
• Mobility education, including physical therapy techniques you can do in the comfort of your own home with no risk to injury, injury prevention techniques, and correct posture
• Encouraging you to maintain an active lifestyle, carries with it the benefits of increased energy, lowers your odds of developing cardiovascular disease, contributes to a healthy weight, makes you feel better, and encourages your body to get a full 8 hours of sleep

Other services we offer in Dardenne Prairie, MO include:

• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation
• Pain Management Services
• TMJ Treatment
• Herniated Disc Treatment

Mobility in Dardenne Prairie, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you need hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to use a computer, are looking for meaningful pain management for sciatica, or want to return to your active lifestyle following acute trauma, Axes’ team of licensed physical and occupational therapists is here to help you get back to the activities you love. We employ a client-centered approach. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or call the location that works best for you.