Mobility in Foley, MO. Our bodies are built to move. But sometimes, our mobility is impeded and it prevents us from doing what we love most. While losing your independence because of losing your mobility can affect our mental health as well, Axes Physical Therapy in Foley, MO offers treatment plans that have been proven to be successful and that are built specifically to you and your needs. No matter if your mobility limitations are the result of an injury, a degenerative condition, or a musculoskeletal issue such as sciatica, start on the road back to optimal movement health and a pain-free daily life as soon as possible by scheduling an appointment with Axes today or calling the the one of our 15 locations nearest you.

The dictionary defines mobility as, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some of us that may mean rolling over in bed comfortably, while others have more active lifestyle desires like sprinting down the basketball court on a fast break. Whatever it means to you, if your mobility is severely restricted consult with a physician about professional physical therapy services.

Functional Mobility in Foley, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to complete daily tasks. This can be simple tasks such as moving around in bed or carrying a cup of coffee to another room and sitting on the couch. In general, functional mobility can be broken down into three categories:

1. Bed mobility — Whether or not you are able to to easily move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Your ability to switch between places, 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 a person or assistive device helping you, the Foley, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are devoted to helping you regain your autonomy. 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 develop a tailor-made plan that has been proven to help people like you return to the best possible mobility. Part of your treatment will likely be simple and safe strengthening, balance, and flexibility training. We also offer vestibular therapy for people who have a debilitating vestibular disorder.

Foley, MO physical therapists often utilize the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) of seven levels to determine someone’s functional mobility:

1. Complete independence, meaning you can complete a specified task safely and in a timely manner
2. Modified independence, meaning you need a device such as crutches to complete the task
3. Supervision, meaning you can complete the task independently but need someone to monitor you for safety
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can exert 75% of the effort 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 necessary
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 the activity is not safe to test

At Axes Physical Therapy in Foley, 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 treatment plans are proven to be safe and effective through extensive clinical studies, and your dedicated physical therapist will begin your mobility treatment with a thorough evaluation of your health to confirm that the exercises we use are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Foley, MO

To be sure, simply being to move between chairs independently does not define optimal movement health for many of us. There are corners to burn on the football field, your children to pick up, and the vocational tasks you need to perform every day so that you can put food on the table for your Foley, 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 Foley, MO occupational therapists are an essential part of getting you back to work after a work-related injury. We team up with you and your physician, insurance carrier, workers’ compensation lawyer and employer so you can get back to helping our Foley, MO community and providing for your family as you want to. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to determine what activity level you can safely carry out.
• Sports therapy — The worst-case scenario for any athlete is an unexpected pop or crack that keeps them inactive and limited for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. Our Foley, 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 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 team up with the doctors recommending and performing your surgery to ease your worry, and formulate a successful plan of action to restore optimal mobility.

However limited you currently are in your mobility, and lifestyle you are trying to get back to, consult with your Foley, MO doctor about whether or not physical therapy is a good option for you, or come see us for a no-obligation injury screening from a licensed physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Foley, 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. Having proportionately strong muscles 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, our muscles, tendons, and other soft tissue need to be able to lengthen so that the joints they control and protect can function properly.
• Balance — Balance issues are commonly due to:
  • Vision issues
  • A vestibular disorder, or a problem in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, or the network between your sensory receptors and your nervous system

A clinically experienced physical therapist in Foley, MO will determine what is causing your mobility issues and come up with 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 good posture education

If your doctor and therapy team agree, a physical therapist in Foley, 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 Foley, 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 reach optimal movement health, you’ll also see the following benefits:

• Pain relief, whether from an injury or pain that is chronic in nature without needing to depend on painkillers or opioids
• 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, what you can do to prevent injuries, and the best postures for improved mobility
• Encouraging you to maintain an active lifestyle, which leads to enhanced energy, decreases your risk of heart 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 Foley, 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 Foley, 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 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 leads to positive patient outcomes. To get back your independence and active lifestyle, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or call the location that works best for you.