Mobility in Defiance, MO. Our bodies are meant 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 affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in Defiance, MO can provide you with safe, effective, and proven solutions that are tailored specifically to getting you back to the life you want to live. No matter if your mobility limitations are the result of acute trauma, a disease, or a musculoskeletal issue such as sciatica, take the first steps in your best possible mobility and a pain-free daily life now by setting up an appointment 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 picking up their grandchildren comfortably, while for others it may mean making a diving catch in their softball league. Whatever you need to improve your movement health for, if can’t complete the activities you want to speak with your doctor to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Defiance, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to complete daily tasks. This includes simple tasks such as moving around in bed or walking up a flight of stairs. Fundamentally, functional mobility can be broken down into three categories:

1. Bed mobility — Your ability to scoot, roll, and get in and out of bed with ease.
2. Transfers — Your ability to switch between surfaces, 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 Defiance, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are dedicated to helping you regain your freedom. Whether the condition affecting you is 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 movement health. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility movements. Our therapists are also experts vestibular therapy for people who have a debilitating vestibular disorder.

Defiance, MO physical therapists often rely on the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) of seven levels to evaluate 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 can perform certain movements but only with a walker, a cane, or crutches
3. Supervision, meaning you can perform the movement by yourself but need someone to monitor you 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 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 a quarter of the effort required, or that the activity is not safe to test

At Axes Physical Therapy in Defiance, 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 methods are based on what research says can improve your mobility, and at your first appointment with your professional physical therapist, they will perform a comprehensive evaluation of your health to confirm that the exercises we use are safe for someone suffering from the same ailment you are.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Defiance, MO

Obviously, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just rolling over in bed without limitations. There are doubles to hit in your softball league, your pets to play with, and the physical demands of the job you carry out every day in order to provide for your Defiance, MO family. At Axes, we offer comprehensive physical and occupational physical therapy that can help any individual achieve the activity level they desire. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our Defiance, MO occupational therapists are vital to your return to work 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 Defiance, MO community and supporting your family the best way you can. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to determine what functional capacities you are capable of.
• Sports therapy — The last thing anyone who loves playing sports wants to experience is an unexpected pop or crack that keeps them off the field or court for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. Our Defiance, 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 avoid re-injury.
• 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 give you piece of mind, and develop an effective 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 Defiance, MO doctor about whether or not physical therapy is a good option for you, or come see us for a no-obligation injury screening from a clinically experienced physical or occupational therapist.

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

Our mobility is based on 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 achieve muscle balance. Having proportionately strong muscles around joints is imperative in preventing injury and improving your mobility.
• 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 commonly due to:
  • Vision issues
  • A vestibular disorder, 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 Defiance, MO will determine what is causing your mobility issues and develop a treatment plan, based on empirical research to get you back to the lifestyle you enjoy most. Beyond 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 teaching good posture

If required, a physical therapist in Defiance, MO can also fit you for medically accepted assistive devices including splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to best facilitate movement.

How Physical Therapy in Defiance, 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 painkillers or opioids
• Depending on the nature of your mobility limitations, the potential to avoid surgery by motivating your body to heal on its own
• Patient 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 better physical health, which leads to increased energy, decreases your odds of developing cardiovascular disease, contributes to a healthy weight, improves your mood, and encourages your body to get a full 8 hours of sleep

Other services we offer in Defiance, MO include:

• Dry Needling Near Me
• Tendonitis Treatment
• Manual Physical Therapy
• Orthopedic Rehab Near Me
• Beginner Running Program
• Chronic Pain Treatment
• Spine Specialist Near Me
• MCL Injury
• Shoulder Pain
• Injury Prevention

Mobility in Defiance, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you are looking for hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to write, are in need of 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 what you love doing most. We practice a leads to positive patient outcomes. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location nearest for you.