Mobility in Dellwood, MO. Our bodies are designed to be on the go. But sometimes, our bodies don’t work the way they should and it keeps us from the activities we love. While experiencing pain and other factors that affect mobility can affect our mental health as well, Axes Physical Therapy in Dellwood, MO offers safe, effective, and evidence-backed solutions that are customized specifically to you and your needs. Whether your mobility limitations are the result of an injury, a disease, or a musculoskeletal problem such as sciatica, begin your journey to your best possible movement health and meaningful pain relief as soon as possible by requesting 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 Dellwood, MO residents that looks like getting in and out of a chair comfortably, while others need to get back to serving an ace on the tennis court. Whatever you need to improve your movement health for, if can’t complete the activities you want to consult with your doctor about professional physical therapy and movement health services.

Functional Mobility in Dellwood, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to safely and efficiently get around their home. This includes simple tasks such as moving around in bed or getting in and out of the shower safely. Fundamentally, functional mobility is typically though of in three different ways:

1. Bed mobility — Your ability to scoot, roll, and get in and out of bed with ease.
2. Transfers — Whether or not you are able to switch between places, 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 Dellwood, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are devoted to helping you regain your self-sufficiency. Whether your currently limited functional mobility was caused by a knee injury, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a central nervous system disorder like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll implement a tailor-made plan that safely and correctly helps you reach the best possible movement health. Part of your treatment will likely be simple and safe strengthening, balance, and flexibility movements. Our therapists are also experts vestibular therapy for people who have a debilitating vestibular disorder.

The seven level Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is the staple of how to evaluate functional mobility in Dellwood, MO:

1. Complete independence, meaning you are able to move in a certain way without assistance and in a timely manner
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 next to you for safety
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can exert 75% of the work needed to complete the task or more while a physical therapist helps you the rest of the way
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 a quarter of the work required, or that even testing whether or not you can do it could lead to you becoming hurt

At Axes Physical Therapy in Dellwood, 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 based on what research says works best for you, and at your first appointment with your professional physical therapist, they will perform a comprehensive evaluation of your health to ensure that the treatment modalities we have in mind for you are safe for someone suffering from the same ailment you are.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Dellwood, MO

Of course, simply walking up the stairs without limitations does not define optimal movement health for many of us. There are pickleball leagues to dominate, your children to pick up, and the physical demands of the job you carry out every day in order to provide for your Dellwood, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any individual reach the optimal movement health they need to get back to the activities they love. Our services also include:

• Occupational therapy — Our Dellwood, MO occupational therapists are an essential part of getting you back to work after a work-related injury. We serve as an integral member of your workers’ compensation team so you can get back to helping our Dellwood, MO community and supporting your family the best way you can. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to ascertain 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 fall or collision that keeps them off the field or court for weeks, months, or longer. If you suffer an ACL tear, rotator cuff tear, or other sports injury, Axes Physical Therapy in Dellwood, 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 are big believers in teaching injury prevention to help you avoid re-injury.
• Pre/post surgical rehabilitation — Surgery and your recovery from it are delicate matters that make anyone nervous. 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 ease your worry, and formulate an effective plan of action to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and the level of movement health you desire, consult with your Dellwood, MO doctor about whether or not physical therapy is advisable, or visit one of our locations for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening from a professional physical or occupational therapist.

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

The four determinants 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 to make sure no muscle is stronger or weaker than it should be in relation to the muscles around it. Having equal muscle balance around joints 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, ligaments, 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 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 licensed physical therapist in Dellwood, MO will be able to identify the source of your limitations in mobility and come up with a safe and effective treatment plan to get you back to the activities you love. Beyond 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 correct posture education

If your doctor and therapy team agree, a physical therapist in Dellwood, MO can also fit you for 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 Dellwood, 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, whether from an injury or pain that is chronic in nature without needing to depend on costly and potentially habit forming prescription drugs
• In some cases, the potential to avoid a surgical procedure by stimulating 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 better physical health, which leads to enhanced energy, lowers your odds of developing cardiovascular disease, contributes to a healthy weight, makes you feel better, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in Dellwood, 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 Dellwood, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you are looking for hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to type, are in need of meaningful pain management for arthritis, 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 the activities you love. We practice a client-centered approach. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or reach out to the location that works best for you.