Mobility in New Haven, MO. Our bodies are designed to to make walking and other movements easy. But sometimes, we sustain an injury or other condition that keeps us from our favorite activities, or even just being able to carry out or daily live comfortably. While that loss of physical mobility affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in New Haven, MO can provide you with safe, effective, and proven solutions that are tailored specifically to you and your needs. No matter if your mobility limitations are the result of acute trauma, a disease, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, begin your journey to optimal movement health and a pain-free daily life as soon as possible by scheduling a mobility and injury analysis with Axes today or calling the the one of our 15 locations most convenient for you.

The dictionary definition of mobility is, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some of us that looks like walking up the stairs without pain, 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 your doctor to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in New Haven, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to safely and efficiently move around in their home environment. This includes anything from rolling over in bed or getting in and out of the shower safely. In general, there are three types of functional mobility:

1. Bed mobility — Whether or not you can to easily move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Whether or not you are able to switch between places, 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.

While the injury or condition limiting your functional mobility may mean that you currently rely on assistance in order to complete basic tasks, the New Haven, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are dedicated to getting your independence back. Whether you currently lack full functional mobility because of an ACL tear, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a a progressive disorder like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll guide you through your journey to the best possible mobility. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility training. We also offer vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause dizziness and vertigo.

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

1. Complete independence, meaning you are able to achieve specific mobility thresholds without assistance and in a timely manner
2. Modified independence, meaning you need a device such as a cane to complete the task
3. Supervision, meaning you can complete the task by yourself but need someone standing by 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 perform about half of the work necessary
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can put in a quarter of the work of the task yourself
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 New Haven, 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 treatment plans are proven to be safe and effective through extensive clinical studies, and at your first appointment with your professional physical therapist, they will perform a thorough examination of your health to confirm that the treatment modalities we use are safe for someone suffering from the same ailment you are.

Beyond Functional Mobility in New Haven, MO

Of course, simply being to move between chairs comfortably does not define optimal movement health for many of us. There are doubles to hit in your softball league, fun activities to share with your family, and the physical demands of the job you perform every day in order to provide for your New Haven, MO family. At Axes, we offer comprehensive physical and occupational physical therapy that can help any athlete, worker, or family member reach the optimal movement health they need to get back to the activities they love. Our services also include:

• Occupational therapy — Our New Haven, MO occupational therapists are vital 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, attorney and employer so you can get back to helping our New Haven, MO community and providing for your family the best way you can. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to determine if you can safely go back to work either fully or at some level.
• Sports therapy — The worst-case scenario for anyone who loves playing sports is an unexpected injury that keeps them off the field or court for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. Our New Haven, 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 is a complex and nerve-racking procedure for anyone. Whether your surgery is a matter of choice or a strong recommendation from a physician, we’ll work with your physician and surgeons to form a complete surgical team to ease your worry, and formulate a successful game plan to restore optimal mobility.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and lifestyle you are trying to get back to, consult with your New Haven, 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 New Haven, MO Can Help Improve Your Mobility

Our mobility is based on 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. 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 typically caused by:
  • Problems with eyesight
  • A vestibular condition, 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 New Haven, MO will be able to identify the source of your mobility issues and come up with a treatment plan, based on empirical research to improve your movement health. Beyond restorative 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 teaching correct posture

If required, a physical therapist in New Haven, MO can also fit you for medically accepted assistive devices such as splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to best facilitate movement.

How Physical Therapy in New Haven, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

Physical therapy does more than just increase strength and flexibility. Your evidence-based treatment plans:

• Pain relief, whether from an injury or pain that is chronic in nature without needing to depend on prescription medications
• In some cases, the potential to avoid a surgical procedure by motivating your body to heal on its own
• 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 better physical health, which leads to increased energy, lowers your odds of developing heart disease, helps control weight, improves your mood, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in New Haven, MO include:

• Neck Pain Treatment
• 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

Mobility in New Haven, 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 joint problems, or need to return to optimal movement health following a devastating injury, Axes’ team of licensed physical and occupational therapists is here to help you get back to what you love doing most. 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 find the location that works best for you.