Mobility in Farmington, MO. Our bodies are designed to to make walking and other movements easy. But sometimes, our bodies don’t work the way they should and it impedes us from the activities we love. While losing your independence because of losing your mobility can affect our mental health as well, Axes Physical Therapy in Farmington, MO offers treatment plans that have been proven to work and that are customized specifically to getting you back to the life you want to live. Whether your mobility limitations are the result of acute trauma, a chronic condition, or a musculoskeletal condition such as sciatica, take the first steps in optimal movement health and meaningful pain relief now by scheduling a free evaluation with Axes today or calling the the one of our multiple locations most convenient for you.

The one definition of mobility is, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some people that looks like rolling over in bed comfortably, while others need to get back to serving an ace on the tennis court. Whatever mobility means to you, if you can’t live the life you want comfortable speak with a physician to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Farmington, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to complete basic tasks. This includes anything from comfortably laying down in bed each night or bringing a cup of coffee to the living room and sitting down. 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 move from one surface to another, for example from a bed to a chair.
3. Ambulation — Whether or not you can walk, and can do so while carrying things.

While the injury or condition limiting your functional mobility may mean that you currently rely on assistance in order to complete basic tasks, the Farmington, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are committed to getting your self-sufficiency back. Whether your currently limited functional mobility was caused by 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 mobility. Part of your treatment will likely be simple and safe strengthening, balance, and flexibility movements. We also offer vestibular therapy for people who have a debilitating vestibular disorder.

Farmington, 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 achieve specific mobility thresholds without risk of injury and without taking an excessive 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 close by to prevent risk of injury
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while a physical therapist does the rest
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can perform about half of the work required
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can complete about 25% of the task independently
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 Farmington, MO, your customized treatment plan may include gradually taking you up through the seven levels, or at least to the highest level possible. All of our methods are proven to be safe and effective through extensive clinical studies, and at your first appointment with your professional physical therapist, they will perform a comprehensive 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 Farmington, MO

Needless to say, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just rolling over in bed comfortably. There are doubles to hit in your softball league, fun activities to share with your family, and the physical demands of the job you perform every day so that you can provide for your Farmington, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any athlete, worker, or family member achieve the activity level they desire. Our services also include:

• Occupational therapy — Our Farmington, 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 Farmington, MO community and providing for your family as you always have. 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 injury that keeps them off the field or court for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. If you suffer an ACL tear, rotator cuff tear, or other sports injury, Axes Physical Therapy in Farmington, 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 also specialize in injury prevention to help you stay off the sidelines.
• Pre/post surgical rehabilitation — Surgery and your recovery from it are delicate matters that make anyone nervous. Whether your surgery is elective or medically necessary, we’ll work with your physician and surgeons to form a complete surgical team to ease your worry, and formulate a successful game plan to restore optimal mobility.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and the extent to wish you want to improve it, consult with your Farmington, 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 professional physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Farmington, 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. 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 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, 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 — Frequent causes of balance issues are:
  • 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 Farmington, MO will be able to identify the source of your limitations in mobility and come up with a safe and effective treatment plan to improve your movement health. 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 good posture education

If your doctor and therapy team agree, a physical therapist in Farmington, MO can also fit you for medically accepted assistive devices including splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to aid you in your mobility and reduce risk of injury.

How Physical Therapy in Farmington, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

Physical therapy does more than just increase mobility. As we work to reach optimal movement health, you’ll also see the following benefits:

• Pain relief for both acute and chronic conditions without the need of costly and potentially habit forming prescription drugs
• If applicable, the potential to avoid a surgical procedure by encouraging the body’s natural way of healing itself
• Mobility education, including physical therapy techniques 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
• Motivating you to maintain an active lifestyle, carries with it the benefits of enhanced energy, lowers your risk of heart disease, helps control weight, improves your mood, and encourages your body to get a full 8 hours of sleep

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

Whether you are looking for hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to use a computer, are looking for meaningful pain management for sciatica, or want to get back on the field after a sports injury, Axes’ team of licensed physical and occupational therapists will develop and implement the treatment plan that works best for you. We take a an approach that focuses on personalized treatment. To get back your independence and active lifestyle, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or reach out to the location nearest for you.