Mobility in Flint Hill, MO. Our bodies are built to move. But sometimes, we sustain an injury or other condition that impedes us from doing what we love most. While that loss of physical mobility affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in Flint Hill, MO can provide you with safe, effective, and proven treatment plans that are customized specifically to you and your needs. No matter if your mobility is limited because of acute trauma, a disease, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal structure such as sciatica, take the first steps in optimal mobility and a pain-free daily life as soon as possible by setting up a mobility and injury analysis with Axes today or calling the the one of our multiple locations nearest you.

The dictionary definition of mobility is, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some of us that is as simple as rolling over in bed without pain, while others have more active lifestyle desires like serving an ace on the tennis court. Whatever you need to improve your movement health for, if you can’t live the life you want pain-free speak with a physician to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Flint Hill, MO

Functional mobility is the capacity one has to complete daily tasks. This includes simple tasks such as moving around in bed or getting in and out of the shower safely. Fundamentally, there are three types of functional mobility:

1. Bed mobility — Whether or not you can to comfortably move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Your ability to move from one place to another, for example from one chair to another.
3. Ambulation — If you can walk on your own while having objects in your hands.

If you cannot currently complete some or all of the activities above without the aid of a person or assistive device, the Flint Hill, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are dedicated to getting your self-sufficiency back. Whether you currently lack full functional mobility as a result of a knee injury, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a degenerative condition 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 exercises. We also offer vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause sensory dysfunction.

Flint Hill, 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 are able to move in a certain way safely and in a relatively normal amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you can perform specific movements but only with a walker, a cane, or crutches
3. Supervision, meaning you can complete the task by yourself but need someone standing by 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 perform about half of the work required
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can put in a quarter of the work of the task without assistance
7. Total assistance or not testable, meaning you can complete less than 25% of the task, or that the activity is not safe to test

At Axes Physical Therapy in Flint Hill, MO, your personalized treatment plan may include safely taking you from the first level to the highest level you are able to achieve. 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 ensure that the treatment modalities we have in mind for you are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Flint Hill, MO

Needless to say, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just walking up the stairs pain-free. There are fast breaks to run, fun activities to share with your family, and the job-related tasks you need to perform every day in order to earn a living for your Flint Hill, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any individual improve mobility they need to get back to the activities they love. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our Flint Hill, 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 Flint Hill, MO community and supporting your family as you always have. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to ascertain if you can safely go back to work either fully or in some capacity.
• Sports therapy — Every athletes worst nightmare is an unexpected pop or crack that sidelines them and keeps them from what they love for weeks, months, or longer. Our Flint Hill, MO physical therapy team is experienced in helping those who are sidelined because of ACL tears, rotator cuff tears, and a variety of other injuries. Our Certified Athletic Trainers can also educate you on the specifics of 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 help you feel confident in your treatment, and formulate an effective strategy to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

However limited you currently are in your mobility, and the level of movement health you desire, consult with your Flint Hill, MO doctor about what physical therapy can do for you, or visit one of our locations for a no-obligation injury screening from a licensed physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Flint Hill, 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. Surrounding our joints with healthy and equally strong muscles is imperative 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:
  • Vision issues
  • 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

An experienced physical therapist in Flint Hill, MO will determine what is causing your mobility issues 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, your treatment plan may also include:

• Soft tissue mobilization
• Kinesio Taping®
• Trigger point dry needling
• Blood flow restriction training
• Posture correction and teaching good posture

If necessary, a physical therapist in Flint Hill, 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 Flint Hill, 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 prescription medications
• Depending on the nature of your mobility limitations, the potential to avoid surgery by encouraging the body’s natural way of healing itself
• Mobility education, including physical therapy techniques you can safely do at home, what you can do to prevent injuries, and the best postures for improved mobility
• Motivating you to maintain an active lifestyle, which leads to increased energy, decreases your odds of developing 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 Flint Hill, MO include:

• 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
• Beginner Running Program
• Chronic Pain Treatment

Mobility in Flint Hill, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you are looking for hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to type, 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 is here to help you get back to what you love doing most. We take a leads to positive patient outcomes. To get back your independence and active lifestyle, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or reach out to the location most convenient for you.