Mobility in Lake Tekawitha, MO. Our bodies are meant to be on the go. But sometimes, our mobility is impeded and it keeps us from our favorite activities, or even just being able to carry out or daily live pain-free. While that loss of physical mobility can affect our mental health as well, Axes Physical Therapy in Lake Tekawitha, MO offers safe, effective, and proven treatment plans that are built 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, begin your journey to optimal mobility and meaningful pain relief as soon as possible by requesting a mobility and injury analysis with Axes today or calling the the one of our multiple locations most convenient for you.

The dictionary defines mobility as, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some Lake Tekawitha, MO residents that is as simple as getting in and out of a chair 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 your mobility is severely restricted speak with a physician about professional physical therapy and movement health services.

Functional Mobility in Lake Tekawitha, MO

Functional mobility is the capacity one has to safely and efficiently move around in their home environment. This can be simple tasks such as rolling over in bed or carrying a cup of coffee to the living room and sitting on the couch. In general, there are three types of functional mobility:

1. Bed mobility — Your ability to scoot, roll, and get in and out of bed pain-free.
2. Transfers — Whether or not you are able to move from one place to a different one, for example from a bed to a chair.
3. Ambulation — Your ability to walk freely without the need of assistance. This also includes walking while being able to carry objects.

While the injury or condition impeding your functional mobility may mean that you currently rely on assistance in order to complete basic tasks, the Lake Tekawitha, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are committed to getting your independence back. Whether your currently limited functional mobility was caused by an ACL tear, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a degenerative condition like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll guide you through your journey to optimal movement health. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility training. Our therapists are also highly trained in vestibular therapy for people who have a debilitating vestibular disorder.

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

1. Complete independence, meaning you can 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. Stand-by assist, meaning you can perform the movement by yourself but need someone to monitor you for safety
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while a physical therapist helps you the rest of the way
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can exert 50% of the effort 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 are unable to put in a quarter of the work required, or that even testing whether or not you can do it could lead to you becoming hurt

At Axes Physical Therapy in Lake Tekawitha, MO, your customized treatment plan may include gradually taking you from the first level to the highest level possible. All of our methods are based on what research says can improve your mobility, and your dedicated physical therapist will begin your mobility treatment with a comprehensive examination of your health to confirm that the treatment modalities we use are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Lake Tekawitha, MO

Of course, simply walking up the stairs without limitations does not define optimal movement health for many of us. There are doubles to hit in your softball league, your pets to pick up, and the occupational tasks of the job you carry out every day in order to put food on the table for your Lake Tekawitha, MO family. At Axes, we offer comprehensive physical and occupational physical therapy that can help any individual improve mobility they need to get back to the activities they love. Our services also include:

• Occupational therapy — Our Lake Tekawitha, MO occupational therapists are crucial to your return to work when an injury or condition does not allow you to carry out the tasks of your job. We team up with you and your physician, insurance carrier, workers’ compensation lawyer and employer so you can get back to contributing to our Lake Tekawitha, MO community and supporting your family as you always have. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to ascertain 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 fall or collision that keeps them off the field or court for weeks, months, or longer. If you suffer an ACL tear, rotator cuff tear, or other sports injury, Axes Physical Therapy in Lake Tekawitha, 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 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 elective or medically necessary, we’ll team up with the doctors recommending and performing your surgery to give you piece of mind, and formulate a successful strategy to restore optimal mobility.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and the extent to wish you want to improve it, consult with your Lake Tekawitha, MO doctor about what physical therapy can do for you, or visit one of our locations for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening from a clinically experienced physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Lake Tekawitha, 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 ensures that no muscle is disproportionately strong or weak. Surrounding our joints with healthy and equally strong muscles is essential in preventing injury and reaching optimal movement health.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To improve our mobility to the highest level we can, 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 — Frequent causes of balance issues include:
  • Problems with vision
  • 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

A licensed physical therapist in Lake Tekawitha, MO will be able to identify the source of your mobility issues and come up with a safe and effective treatment plan to improve your movement health. Beyond therapeutic strength, flexibility, and core exercises, other evidence-backed techniques may include:

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

If necessary, a physical therapist in Lake Tekawitha, MO can also mold your very own 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 Lake Tekawitha, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

Physical therapy does more than just increase strength and flexibility. Your personalized treatment plans:

• Pain relief, whether from an injury or pain that is chronic in nature without the need of painkillers or opioids
• Depending on the nature of your mobility limitations, the potential to avoid surgery by encouraging the body’s natural way of healing itself
• Patient education, including exercises 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, carries with it the benefits of enhanced energy, lowers your odds of developing cardiovascular disease, contributes to a healthy weight, makes you feel better, and encourages your body to get a full 8 hours of sleep

Other services we offer in Lake Tekawitha, 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 Lake Tekawitha, 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 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 take a client-centered approach. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location nearest for you.