Mobility in Dardenne Prairie, MO. Our bodies are built to move. But sometimes, our mobility is impeded and it impedes us from our favorite activities, or even just being able to carry out or daily live pain-free. 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 can provide you with solutions that have been proven to get results and that are tailored specifically to you, your age, and your desired activity level. Whether your mobility limitations are the result of acute trauma, a chronic condition, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, begin your journey to optimal movement health and comfort as soon as possible by scheduling an appointment with Axes today or calling the the one of our multiple locations most convenient for you.

The dictionary defines mobility as, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some of us that may mean picking up their kids 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 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 move around in their home environment. This includes simple tasks such as moving around in bed or bringing a cup of coffee to the living room and sitting on the couch. Fundamentally, functional mobility can be broken down into three categories:

1. Bed mobility — Your ability to comfortably move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Your ability to switch between surfaces, 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 currently need assistance to be functionally mobile, the Dardenne Prairie, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are devoted to helping you regain your independence. Whether the condition affecting you is an ACL tear, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a central nervous system disorder like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll guide you through your journey to the best possible movement health. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility training. Our therapists are also specialists vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause sensory dysfunction.

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

1. Complete independence, meaning you can complete a specified task without assistance and without taking an excessive amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you can perform certain movements but only with an assistive device
3. Supervision, meaning you can perform the movement independently but need someone standing by to prevent risk of injury
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 exert 50% of the effort required
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can complete about 25% 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 gradually taking you from the first level to the highest level you are able to achieve. 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 examination of your health to confirm that the exercises we have in mind for you are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Dardenne Prairie, MO

Obviously, simply being to move between chairs without limitations does not define optimal movement health for many of us. There are corners to burn on the football field, fun activities to share with your family, and the job-related tasks you need to perform every day in order to put food on the table for your Dardenne Prairie, 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. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our Dardenne Prairie, 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 helping our Dardenne Prairie, 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 anyone who loves playing sports wants to experience is an unexpected pop or crack that keeps them inactive and limited for weeks, months, or longer. Our Dardenne Prairie, 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 are big believers in teaching 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 formulate a proven strategy 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 Dardenne Prairie, MO doctor about whether they think getting you a prescription for physical therapy is right for you, or visit one of our locations for a no-obligation injury screening from a clinically experienced 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 ensures that no muscle is disproportionately strong or weak. Surrounding our joints with healthy and equally strong muscles is imperative in preventing injury and reaching optimal movement health.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To achieve optimal movement health, our muscles, tendons, and other soft tissue need to be able to lengthen so that the joints they control and protect can function at their highest level.
• Balance — Problems with balance are usually due to:
  • Problems with eyesight
  • A vestibular condition, or something in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, the sense of awareness ingrained in our muscles and joints

A licensed physical therapist in Dardenne Prairie, MO will be able to identify the source of your limitations in mobility and develop a treatment plan, based on evidence to improve your movement health. 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 teaching good posture

If necessary, a physical therapist in Dardenne Prairie, MO can also fit you for medically accepted assistive devices including splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to help you achieve the best possible mobility.

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 the need of painkillers or opioids
• If applicable, the opportunity to avoid a surgical procedure by motivating your body to heal on its own
• Movement health 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
• Motivating better physical health, carries with it the benefits of increased energy, decreases your risk of 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:

• Shoulder Pain
• Injury Prevention
• Knee Injury
• Joint Pain
• Sciatica
• Dry Needling
• ACL Tear
• Pain Management
• Rotator Cuff Tear

Mobility in Dardenne Prairie, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you need hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to open jars, 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 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 nearest for you.