Mobility in Kinloch, MO. Our bodies are meant to to make walking and other movements easy. But sometimes, our mobility is impeded and it prevents us from our favorite activities, or even just being able to carry out or daily live comfortably. While that loss of physical mobility can affect our mental health as well, Axes Physical Therapy in Kinloch, MO can provide you with solutions that have been proven to be successful and that are built specifically to getting you back to the life you want to live. Whether your mobility limitations are the result of an injury, a disease, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal structure such as sciatica, start on the road back to optimal mobility and comfort now by requesting a free evaluation with Axes today or calling the the one of our multiple locations most convenient for you.

The dictionary definition of mobility is, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some of us 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 mobility means to you, if you can’t live the life you want comfortable consult with a physician to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Kinloch, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to safely and efficiently get around their home. This includes simple tasks such as moving around in bed or bringing a cup of coffee to the living room and sitting on a chair. Fundamentally, functional mobility can be broken down into three categories:

1. Bed mobility — Your ability to comfortably move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Whether or not you are able to switch between surfaces, 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 a person or assistive device helping you, the Kinloch, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are committed to helping you restore your autonomy. Whether the condition affecting you is 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 optimal mobility. We will guide you in strengthening, balance, and flexibility movements. 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 evaluate functional mobility in Kinloch, MO:

1. Complete independence, meaning you can move in a certain way safely and in a timely manner
2. Modified independence, meaning you can perform specific movements but only with a walker, a cane, or crutches
3. Supervision, meaning you can perform the movement independently but need someone close by to prevent risk of injury
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while someone else does the rest
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can exert 50% of the effort required
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can complete about 25% of the task independently
7. Total assistance or not testable, meaning you are unable to put in 25% of the work required, or that even testing whether or not you can do it is not safe

At Axes Physical Therapy in Kinloch, MO, your personalized treatment plan may include safely taking you up through the seven levels, or at least to the highest level you are able to achieve. All of our methods are based on what research says can improve your mobility, and at your first appointment with your professional physical therapist, they will perform 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 Kinloch, MO

Obviously, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just being to move between furniture pain-free. There are doubles to hit in your softball league, fun activities to share with your family, and the occupational tasks of the job you carry out every day so that you can earn a living for your Kinloch, 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. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our Kinloch, 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 contributing to our Kinloch, MO community and providing for 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 a sudden fall or collision 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 Kinloch, MO will help you restore 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 stay off the sidelines.
• Pre/post surgical rehabilitation — Surgery makes anyone anxious. Whether your surgery is elective or medically necessary, we’ll work with your physician and surgeons to form a complete surgical team to give you piece of mind, and formulate a successful game plan to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

However limited you currently are in your mobility, and the extent to wish you want to improve it, consult with your Kinloch, MO doctor about what physical therapy can do for you, or come see us for a complimentary injury screening from a licensed physical or occupational therapist.

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

The four tenets of mobility are 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 ensures that no muscle is disproportionately strong or weak. Having equal muscle balance around joints is crucial in preventing injury and reaching optimal movement health.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To reach the movement health and lifestyle we desire, 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 due to:
  • Problems with vision
  • A vestibular issue, 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 Kinloch, MO will be able to identify the source of your limitations in mobility and develop a treatment plan, based on empirical research 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 Kinloch, MO can also create custom medically accepted assistive devices such as splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to help you achieve the best possible mobility.

How Physical Therapy in Kinloch, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

Physical therapy does more than just increase mobility. As we work to improve your movement health, you’ll also see the following benefits:

• 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 opportunity to avoid a surgical procedure by encouraging the body’s own healing methods
• 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
• Motivating you to maintain an active lifestyle, which leads to increased energy, lowers your odds of developing cardiovascular disease, contributes to a healthy weight, makes you feel better, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in Kinloch, 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 Kinloch, 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 sciatica, or want to return to your active lifestyle following acute trauma, Axes’ team of licensed physical and occupational therapists is here to help you get back to what you love doing most. We employ a an approach that focuses on personalized treatment. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or call the location most convenient for you.