Mobility in Florissant, MO. Our bodies are built to move. But sometimes, our mobility is impeded and it impedes us from the activities we love. While that loss of physical mobility affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in Florissant, MO can provide you with treatment plans that have been proven to be successful and that are tailored specifically to you and your needs. Regardless of whether your mobility limitations are the result of an injury, a disease, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, take the first steps in optimal movement health and comfort as soon as possible by scheduling an appointment with Axes today or calling the location nearest you.

The dictionary defines mobility as, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some Florissant, MO residents that may mean walking up the stairs without pain, while others have more active lifestyle desires like making a diving catch in their softball league. Whatever mobility means to you, if can’t complete the activities you want to speak with your doctor to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Florissant, MO

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

1. Bed mobility — Whether or not you are able to to comfortably 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 — If you can walk on your own while having objects in your hands.

While the injury or condition impeding your functional mobility may mean that you currently rely on assistance in order to operate in your daily life, the Florissant, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are dedicated to helping you regain your self-sufficiency. Whether your currently limited functional mobility was caused by a sports injuryan rotator cuff tear tear, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a central nervous system disorder like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll create a customized plan that safely and correctly helps you reach optimal movement health. Part of your treatment will likely be simple and safe strengthening, balance, and flexibility exercises. We also offer vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause sensory dysfunction.

Florissant, MO physical therapists often use the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) of seven levels to assess someone’s functional mobility:

1. Complete independence, meaning you are able to move in a certain way without risk of injury and in a relatively normal amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you need a device such as a cane to complete the task
3. Stand-by assist, meaning you can complete the task independently but need someone next to you so you don’t hurt yourself
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while someone else does the rest
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can perform about half of the work needed
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 even testing whether or not you can do it is not safe

At Axes Physical Therapy in Florissant, MO, your customized treatment plan may include safely allowing you more and more independence until you get the highest level you can. All of our methods are based on what research says works best for you, and at your first appointment with your professional physical therapist, they will perform a comprehensive examination of your health to verify that the treatment modalities we have in mind for you are safe for someone suffering from the same ailment you are.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Florissant, MO

Needless to say, simply being to move between chairs without limitations does not define optimal movement health for many of us. There are doubles to hit in your softball league, your children to pick up, and the vocational tasks you need to perform every day in order to put food on the table for your Florissant, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any athlete, worker, or family member reach the optimal movement health they need to get back to the activities they love. Our services also include:

• Occupational therapy — Our Florissant, MO occupational therapists are vital to your return to work when an injury or condition limits the mobility needed to to do your hob. We team up with you and your physician, insurance carrier, workers’ compensation lawyer and employer so you can get back to helping our Florissant, MO community and supporting your family as you always have. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to determine if you are ready to return to your job.
• Sports therapy — The last thing anyone who loves playing sports wants to experience is an unexpected injury that keeps them inactive and limited for weeks, months, or longer. If you suffer an ACL tear, rotator cuff tear, or other sports injury, Axes Physical Therapy in Florissant, 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 are big believers in teaching injury prevention to help you stay off the sidelines.
• Pre/post surgical rehabilitation — Surgery is a complex and nerve-racking procedure for anyone. 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 develop 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 Florissant, MO doctor about what physical therapy can do for you, or visit one of our locations for a free injury screening from a licensed physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Florissant, 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 ensures that no muscle is disproportionately strong or weak. Surrounding our joints with healthy and equally strong muscles is vital to 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 — Balance issues are usually caused by:
  • Vision issues
  • 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

An experienced physical therapist in Florissant, 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. In addition to 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 Florissant, MO can also mold your very own medically accepted assistive devices including splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to help you achieve the best possible mobility.

How Physical Therapy in Florissant, 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 personalized treatment plans:

• Pain relief, whether from an injury or pain that is chronic in nature without the need of prescription medications
• In some cases, the potential to avoid a surgical procedure by motivating your body to heal on its own
• Patient education, including physical therapy techniques you can do in the comfort of your own home with no risk to injury, injury prevention techniques, and the best postures for improved mobility
• Motivating better physical health, which leads to increased 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 Florissant, 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 Florissant, 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 arthritis, or need to return to optimal movement health following a devastating injury, Axes’ team of licensed physical and occupational therapists will develop and implement the treatment plan that is safe and affective. 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 find the location most convenient for you.