Mobility in Des Peres, MO. Our bodies are built to move. 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 can affect our mental health as well, Axes Physical Therapy in Des Peres, MO can provide you with safe, effective, and evidence-backed treatment plans that are tailored specifically to you and your needs. No matter if your mobility is limited because of acute trauma, a chronic condition, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, begin your journey to your best possible mobility and meaningful pain relief as soon as possible by requesting a mobility and injury analysis 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 looks like walking up the stairs comfortably, while others need to get back to making a diving catch in their softball league. Whatever it means to you, if your mobility is severely restricted consult with your doctor about professional physical therapy services.

Functional Mobility in Des Peres, MO

Functional mobility is the capacity one has to safely move around in their home environment. This includes simple tasks such as moving around in bed or carrying a cup of coffee to another room and sitting down. Fundamentally, functional mobility can be broken down into three categories:

1. Bed mobility — Whether or not you are able to to scoot, roll, and get in and out of bed with ease.
2. Transfers — Your ability to switch between places, for example from one chair to another.
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 Des Peres, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are dedicated to helping you regain your independence. Whether the condition affecting you is an ACL tear, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a degenerative condition like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll design a tailor-made plan that safely and correctly helps you reach the best possible mobility. We will guide you in strengthening, balance, and flexibility movements. Our therapists are also specialists vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause sensory dysfunction.

Des Peres, 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 can complete a specified task 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 complete the task independently but need someone close by for safety
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 half of the effort necessary
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 is not safe

At Axes Physical Therapy in Des Peres, MO, your personalized treatment plan may include gradually taking you from the first level to the highest level possible. All of our treatment plans are proven to be safe and effective through extensive clinical studies, and your dedicated physical therapist will begin your mobility treatment with a comprehensive examination of your health to verify that the treatment modalities we have in mind for you are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Des Peres, MO

To be sure, simply being to move between chairs pain-free does not define optimal movement health for many of us. There are doubles to hit in your softball league, fun activities to share with your family, and the job-related tasks you need to carry out every day so that you can provide for your Des Peres, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any athlete, worker, or family member achieve the activity level they desire. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our Des Peres, 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 contributing to our Des Peres, MO community and providing for your family as you want to. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to determine what activity level you can safely carry out.
• Sports therapy — The worst-case scenario for anyone who loves playing sports is a sudden pop or crack 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 Des Peres, MO will help you restore 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 makes anyone anxious. 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 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 Des Peres, MO doctor about whether they think getting you a prescription for physical therapy is right for you, or come see us for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening from a licensed physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Des Peres, 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 helps to make sure no muscle is stronger or weaker than it should be in relation to the muscles around it. Surrounding our joints with healthy and equally strong muscles is crucial 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, 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 include:
  • Problems with vision
  • A vestibular condition, or a problem in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, the receptors in our muscles that monitor length, tension, pressure and noxious stimuli

A professional physical therapist in Des Peres, MO will determine what is causing your limitations in mobility and develop a treatment plan, based on evidence to get you back to the activities you love. Beyond restorative 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 correct posture

If your doctor and therapy team agree, a physical therapist in Des Peres, MO can also create custom medically accepted assistive devices such as splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to best facilitate movement.

How Physical Therapy in Des Peres, 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. Your customized treatment plans:

• Pain relief, whether from an injury or pain that is chronic in nature without the need of costly and potentially habit forming prescription drugs
• In some cases, the potential to avoid a surgical procedure by motivating your body to heal on its own
• Movement health 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 you to maintain an active lifestyle, carries with it the benefits of increased energy, lowers your risk of 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 Des Peres, 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 Des Peres, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you are looking for hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to use a computer, are in need of meaningful pain management for joint problems, 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 employ 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 most convenient for you.