Mobility in Gray Summit, MO. Our bodies are designed to move. But sometimes, our bodies don’t work the way they should and it keeps us from doing what we love most. While losing your independence because of losing your mobility affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in Gray Summit, MO can provide you with treatment plans that have been proven to get results and that are tailored specifically to you, your age, and your desired activity level. Whether your mobility is limited because of an injury, a disease, or a musculoskeletal condition such as sciatica, take the first steps in optimal movement health and comfort now by setting up a free evaluation with Axes today or calling the the one of our 15 locations most convenient for you.

The dictionary defines mobility as, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some of us that looks like getting in and out of a chair without pain, while for others it may mean 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 comfortable consult with your doctor about professional physical therapy and movement health services.

Functional Mobility in Gray Summit, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to safely move around in their home environment. This can be anything from rolling over in bed or walking up a flight of stairs. In general, functional mobility is typically though of in three different ways:

1. Bed mobility — Your ability to easily move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Whether or not you are able to move from one surface to another, for example from one chair to another.
3. Ambulation — Whether or not you can walk, and can do so while carrying things.

While the injury or condition impeding your functional mobility may mean that you currently rely on assistance in order to complete basic tasks, the Gray Summit, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are devoted to helping you regain your self-sufficiency. Whether your currently limited functional mobility was caused by a knee injury, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a a progressive disorder like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll design a personalized plan that safely and correctly helps you reach the best possible mobility. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility exercises. Our therapists are also highly trained in vestibular therapy for people who have a debilitating vestibular disorder.

The seven level Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is the main way to assess functional mobility in Gray Summit, MO:

1. Complete independence, meaning you can complete a specified task without risk of injury 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 close by 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 exert half of the effort necessary
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 are unable to put in 25% of the work required, or that the activity is not safe to test

At Axes Physical Therapy in Gray Summit, MO, your tailor-made treatment plan may include gradually allowing you more and more independence until you get the highest level you can. All of our methods are proven to be safe and effective through extensive clinical studies, and when you and your licensed physical therapist first meet, they will perform a comprehensive examination of your health to confirm that the exercises we have in mind for you are safe for someone suffering from the same ailment you are.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Gray Summit, MO

Obviously, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just being to move between furniture independently. There are corners to burn on the football field, fun activities to share with your family, and the physical demands of the job you carry out every day so that you can earn a living for your Gray Summit, MO family. At Axes, we offer comprehensive physical and occupational physical therapy that can help any athlete, worker, or family member achieve the activity level they desire. Our services also include:

• Occupational therapy — Our Gray Summit, 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, attorney and employer so you can get back to helping our Gray Summit, MO community and supporting 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 — Every athletes worst nightmare is a sudden pop or crack that sidelines them and keeps them from what they love for weeks, months, or longer. If you suffer an ACL tear, rotator cuff tear, or other sports injury, Axes Physical Therapy in Gray Summit, 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 can also educate you on the specifics of injury prevention to help you avoid re-injury.
• Pre/post surgical rehabilitation — Surgery makes anyone anxious. Whether your surgery is elective or medically necessary, we’ll team up with the doctors recommending and performing your surgery to help you feel confident in your treatment, and formulate an effective strategy to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and the extent to wish you want to improve it, consult with your Gray Summit, 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 no-obligation injury screening from a clinically experienced physical or occupational therapist.

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

The four determinants of mobility are 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. Achieving equal muscle balance around joints is vital to preventing injury and improving your mobility.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To achieve optimal movement health, 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 — Problems with balance are commonly caused by:
  • Vision issues
  • A vestibular disorder, 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 Gray Summit, MO will determine what is causing your mobility issues and develop a safe and effective treatment plan to improve your movement health. 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 Gray Summit, MO can also mold your very own medically accepted assistive devices including splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to best facilitate movement.

How Physical Therapy in Gray Summit, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

Physical therapy does more than just increase mobility. Your personalized treatment plans:

• Pain relief for both acute and chronic conditions without needing to depend on costly and potentially habit forming prescription drugs
• Depending on the nature of your mobility limitations, the potential to avoid surgery by encouraging the body’s own healing methods
• Patient education, including exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home with no risk to injury, what you can do to prevent injuries, and correct posture
• Motivating you to maintain an active lifestyle, which leads to increased energy, lowers your risk of heart disease, helps control weight, improves your mood, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in Gray Summit, 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 Gray Summit, 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 sciatica, 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 works best for you. We pride ourselves on our an approach that focuses on personalized treatment. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location that works best for you.