Mobility in Ferguson, MO. Our bodies are meant to move. But sometimes, our mobility is impeded and it keeps us from our favorite activities, or even just being able to carry out or daily live comfortably. While that loss of physical mobility affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in Ferguson, MO offers safe, effective, and proven treatment plans that are built specifically to you, your age, and your desired activity level. Regardless of whether your mobility limitations are the result of an injury, a chronic condition, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, begin your journey to your best possible mobility and a pain-free daily life now by setting up a free evaluation with Axes today or calling the location nearest you.

The dictionary defines mobility as, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some Ferguson, MO residents that is as simple as getting in and out of a chair comfortably, while others have more active lifestyle desires like serving an ace on the tennis court. Whatever it means to you, if can’t complete the activities you want to consult with a physician to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Ferguson, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to complete daily tasks. This includes anything from rolling over in bed or walking up a flight of stairs. In general, there are three types of functional mobility:

1. Bed mobility — Whether or not you can to easily move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Your ability to move from one surface to a different one, for example from one chair to another.
3. Ambulation — Your ability to walk freely without the need of assistance. This also includes walking while being able to carry objects.

If you cannot currently complete some or all of the tasks above without the aid of a person or assistive device, the Ferguson, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are committed to getting your freedom back. Whether your currently limited functional mobility was caused by an ACL 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. We will guide you in strengthening, balance, and flexibility movements. Our therapists are also highly trained in vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause dizziness and vertigo.

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

1. Complete independence, meaning you are able to achieve specific mobility thresholds safely and in a timely manner
2. Modified independence, meaning you need a device such as a cane to complete the task
3. Stand-by assist, 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 exert 75% of the effort needed to complete the task or more while a physical therapist does the rest
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can exert half 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 can complete less than 25% of the task, or that even testing whether or not you can do it is not safe

At Axes Physical Therapy in Ferguson, MO, your customized treatment plan may include safely taking you up through the seven levels, or at least to the highest level possible. All of our treatment plans are based on what research says works best for you, and your dedicated physical therapist will begin your mobility treatment with a comprehensive evaluation of your health to verify that the exercises we have in mind for you are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Ferguson, MO

To be sure, simply being to move between chairs without assistance does not define optimal movement health for many of us. There are corners to burn on the football field, your pets to pick up, and the physical demands of the job you perform every day so that you can put food on the table for your Ferguson, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any athlete, worker, or family member improve mobility they need to get back to the activities they love. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our Ferguson, 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 Ferguson, MO community and providing for your family as you always have. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to ascertain what functional capacities you are capable of.
• 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. Our Ferguson, 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 also specialize in injury prevention to help you avoid re-injury.
• 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 give you piece of mind, and develop a proven strategy to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and lifestyle you are trying to get back to, consult with your Ferguson, MO doctor about whether they think getting you a prescription for physical therapy is right for you, or visit one of our locations for a complimentary injury screening from a licensed physical or occupational therapist.

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

Our mobility is based on our strength, flexibility, range of motion, and balance:

• Strength — While physical therapy is effective at rebuilding and maintaining strength, it also helps achieve muscle balance. Achieving proportionately strong muscles around joints 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, 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 eyesight
  • A vestibular condition, or something in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, the receptors in our muscles that monitor length, tension, pressure and noxious stimuli

A clinically experienced physical therapist in Ferguson, MO will be able to identify the source of your mobility issues and come up with a treatment plan, based on empirical research to improve your movement health. 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 Ferguson, MO can also create custom 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 Ferguson, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

Physical therapy does more than just increase strength and flexibility. Your personalized treatment plans:

• 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
• Depending on the nature of your mobility limitations, the opportunity to avoid surgery by stimulating the body’s own healing methods
• Movement health education, including exercises you can safely do at home, what you can do to prevent injuries, and correct posture
• Encouraging better physical health, carries with it the benefits of enhanced energy, lowers your odds of developing cardiovascular disease, helps control weight, improves your mood, and encourages your body to get a full 8 hours of sleep

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

Whether you need hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to write, are looking for meaningful pain management for joint problems, 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 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 nearest for you.