Mobility in Mehlville, MO. Our bodies are meant to to make walking and other movements easy. But sometimes, our bodies don’t work the way they should and it prevents us from our favorite activities, or even just being able to carry out or daily live comfortably. While experiencing pain and other factors that affect mobility affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in Mehlville, MO can develop safe, effective, and proven solutions that are customized specifically to getting you back to the life you want to live. Regardless of whether your mobility limitations are the result of acute trauma, a disease, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, start on the road back to your best possible movement health and meaningful pain relief as soon as possible by requesting a free evaluation with Axes today or calling the the one of our multiple locations nearest you.

The dictionary definition of mobility is, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some people that looks like getting in and out of a chair comfortably, while others need to get back to serving an ace on the tennis court. Whatever mobility means to you, if can’t complete the activities you want to speak with a physician about professional physical therapy and movement health services.

Functional Mobility in Mehlville, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to safely move around in their home environment. This can be anything from comfortably laying down in bed each night or getting in and out of the shower safely. Fundamentally, functional mobility can be broken down into three categories:

1. Bed mobility — Your ability to scoot, roll, and get in and out of bed with ease.
2. Transfers — Your ability to move from one surface to a different one, for example from a chair, bed, or sofa 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 currently need assistance to be functionally mobile, the Mehlville, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are dedicated to helping you regain your autonomy. 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 guide you through your journey to the best possible mobility. We will guide you in strengthening, balance, and flexibility training. We also offer vestibular therapy for people who have a debilitating vestibular disorder.

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

1. Complete independence, meaning you are able to achieve specific mobility thresholds without risk of injury and in a timely manner
2. Modified independence, meaning you can perform specific movements but only with an assistive device
3. Supervision, meaning you can perform the movement by yourself but need someone standing by for safety
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while a physical therapist does the rest
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can perform about 50% of the work 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 can complete less than 25% of the task, or that even testing whether or not you can do it carries the risk of injury

At Axes Physical Therapy in Mehlville, MO, your personalized treatment plan may include gradually allowing you more and more independence until you get the highest level you can. All of our methods are based on what research says can improve your mobility, and when you and your licensed physical therapist first meet, they will perform a thorough examination of your health to verify that the exercises we use are safe for someone suffering from the same ailment you are.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Mehlville, MO

Needless to say, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just walking up the stairs 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 in order to put food on the table for your Mehlville, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any individual achieve the activity level they desire. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our Mehlville, MO occupational therapists are essential to your recovery 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 being an integral member of our Mehlville, MO community and providing for 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 worst-case scenario for any athlete is an unexpected fall or collision that sidelines them and keeps them from what they love for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. Our Mehlville, MO physical therapy team knows how to help those who are sidelined because of ACL tears, rotator cuff tears, and a variety of other injuries. 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 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 ease your worry, and formulate a proven game plan to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

However limited you currently are in your mobility, and the level of movement health you desire, consult with your Mehlville, 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 free injury screening from a licensed physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Mehlville, 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 to make sure no muscle is stronger or weaker than it should be in relation to the muscles around it. 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 achieve optimal movement health, our muscles, ligaments, and other soft tissue need to be able to lengthen so that the joints they control and protect can function at their highest level.
• Balance — Problems with balance are usually due to:
  • Vision issues
  • A vestibular condition, or something in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, the sense of awareness ingrained in our muscles and joints

An experienced physical therapist in Mehlville, MO will find the root of your mobility issues and develop a treatment plan, based on evidence 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 good posture education

If your doctor and therapy team agree, a physical therapist in Mehlville, MO can also create custom medically accepted assistive devices including splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to best facilitate movement.

How Physical Therapy in Mehlville, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

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

• 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 opportunity to avoid a surgical procedure by stimulating the body’s own healing methods
• Movement health education, including exercises you can safely do at home, what you can do to prevent injuries, and correct posture
• Motivating you to maintain an active lifestyle, carries with it the benefits of enhanced energy, decreases your odds of developing heart disease, helps control weight, improves your mood, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in Mehlville, 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 Mehlville, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you need hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to do basic everyday things, are looking for meaningful pain management for joint problems, 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 pride ourselves on our leads to positive patient outcomes. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or call the location that works best for you.