Mobility in Ethlyn, MO. Our bodies are designed to to make walking and other movements easy. But sometimes, our mobility is impeded and it prevents 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 Ethlyn, MO can provide you with safe, effective, and proven treatment plans that are tailored specifically to you, your age, and your desired activity level. No matter if your mobility limitations are the result of an injury, a chronic condition, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, take the first steps in your best possible mobility and comfort now by setting up 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 people that is as simple as rolling over in bed without pain, while others have more active lifestyle desires like sprinting down the basketball court on a fast break. Whatever you need to improve your movement health for, if can’t complete the activities you want to speak with a physician to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Ethlyn, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to safely and efficiently move around in their home environment. This includes anything from comfortably laying down in bed each night or carrying a cup of coffee to the living room and sitting on the couch. In general, functional mobility is typically though of in three different ways:

1. Bed mobility — Your ability to easily move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Whether or not you are able 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 currently need assistance to be functionally mobile, the Ethlyn, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are devoted to helping you restore your freedom. 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 the best possible movement health. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility movements. We also offer 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 Ethlyn, MO:

1. Complete independence, meaning you can achieve specific mobility thresholds without risk of injury and without taking an excessive amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you can perform specific movements but only with an assistive device
3. Stand-by assist, meaning you can perform the movement independently but need someone to monitor you so you don’t hurt yourself
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 exert 50% of the effort needed
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 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 Ethlyn, MO, your customized treatment plan may include gradually 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 when you and your licensed physical therapist first meet, they will perform a comprehensive evaluation of your health to verify that the treatment modalities we use are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Ethlyn, MO

Of course, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just walking up the stairs pain-free. There are corners to burn on the football field, your pets to play with, and the job-related tasks you need to perform every day in order to put food on the table for your Ethlyn, 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 Ethlyn, MO occupational therapists are crucial to your return to work when an injury or condition does not allow you to carry out the tasks of your job. We serve as an integral member of your workers’ compensation team so you can get back to contributing to our Ethlyn, 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 worst-case scenario for anyone who loves playing sports is an unexpected fall or collision that keeps them inactive and limited for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. Our Ethlyn, 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 reduce the risk of having to go through an injury again.
• 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 ease your worry, and develop a successful strategy to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and the extent to wish you want to improve it, consult with your Ethlyn, MO doctor about whether or not physical therapy is a good option for you, or visit one of our locations for a free injury screening from a professional physical or occupational therapist.

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

The four tenets 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. Achieving equal muscle balance around joints is imperative in preventing injury and improving your mobility.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To reach the movement health and lifestyle we desire, 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 — Balance issues are typically caused by:
  • Problems with vision
  • 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 Ethlyn, MO will determine what is causing your mobility issues and develop a safe and effective treatment plan to improve your movement health. In addition to restorative strength, flexibility, and core exercises, your treatment plan may also include:

• 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 Ethlyn, MO can also create custom medically accepted assistive devices such as splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to help you achieve the best possible mobility.

How Physical Therapy in Ethlyn, 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 enjoy:

• Pain relief for both acute and chronic conditions without having to use costly and potentially habit forming prescription drugs
• In some cases, the opportunity to avoid a surgical procedure by stimulating the body’s own healing methods
• Movement health education, including physical therapy techniques you can safely do at home, injury prevention techniques, and the best postures for improved mobility
• Motivating you to maintain an active lifestyle, carries with it the benefits of increased energy, decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease, helps control weight, makes you feel better, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in Ethlyn, MO include:

• Soft Tissue Mobilization
• Post Surgical Rehabilitation
• Shin Splint Treatment
• Direct Access Physical Therapy
• Gait Analysis
• Pelvic Floor Therapy
• Dry Needling Near Me
• Tendonitis Treatment
• Manual Physical Therapy
• Orthopedic Rehab Near Me

Mobility in Ethlyn, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you need hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to type, 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 will develop and implement the treatment plan that is safe and affective. We take a client-centered approach. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location most convenient for you.