Mobility in Pacific, MO. Our bodies are built to move. But sometimes, our bodies don’t work the way they should 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 affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in Pacific, MO can provide you with solutions that have been proven to get results and that are tailored specifically to getting you back to the life you want to live. Regardless of whether your mobility is limited because of an injury, a disease, or a musculoskeletal problem such as sciatica, begin your journey to your best possible movement health and comfort as soon as possible by scheduling a mobility and injury analysis with Axes today or calling the location nearest you.

The dictionary definition of mobility is, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some people that is as simple as rolling over in bed comfortably, while others have more active lifestyle desires like sprinting down the basketball court on a fast break. Whatever it means to you, if you can’t live the life you want pain-free consult with a physician to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Pacific, MO

Functional mobility is the capacity one has to complete basic tasks. This includes anything from comfortably laying down in bed each night or getting in and out of the shower safely. Fundamentally, 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 — Your ability to switch between surfaces, for example from a chair, bed, or sofa to another.
3. Ambulation — If you can walk on your own while having objects in your hands.

If you cannot currently complete some or all of the activities above without the aid of a person or assistive device, the Pacific, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are devoted to helping you regain your autonomy. Whether the condition affecting you is a knee injury, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a a progressive disorder like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll design a tailor-made plan that has been proven to help people like you return to the best possible mobility. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility exercises. Our therapists are also highly trained in vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause dizziness and vertigo.

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

1. Complete independence, meaning you can achieve specific mobility thresholds without assistance 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 perform the movement independently but need someone to monitor you for safety
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can exert 75% of the effort needed to complete the task or more while someone else helps you the rest of the way
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can perform about half of the work needed
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 are unable to put in 25% of the effort required, or that the activity is not safe to test

At Axes Physical Therapy in Pacific, 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 your dedicated physical therapist will begin your mobility treatment with a comprehensive examination of your health to verify that the exercises we have in mind for you are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Pacific, MO

To be sure, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just walking up the stairs independently. There are fast breaks to run, fun activities to share with your family, and the vocational tasks you need to carry out every day so that you can put food on the table for your Pacific, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any athlete, worker, or family member improve mobility they need to get back to the activities they love. Our services also include:

• Occupational therapy — Our Pacific, MO occupational therapists are essential to your return to work when an injury or condition does not allow you to carry out the tasks of your job. We serve as an integral member of your workers’ compensation team so you can get back to helping our Pacific, MO community and providing for your family the best way you can. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to ascertain what functional capacities you are capable of.
• Sports therapy — The last thing any athlete wants to experience is a sudden pop or crack that sidelines them and keeps them from what they love for weeks, months, or longer. Our Pacific, 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 are big believers in teaching injury prevention to help you avoid re-injury.
• Pre/post surgical rehabilitation — Surgery and your recovery from it are delicate matters that make anyone nervous. Whether your surgery is a matter of choice or a strong recommendation from a physician, we’ll team up with the doctors recommending and performing your surgery to ease your worry, and formulate a successful 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 Pacific, MO doctor about what physical therapy can do for you, or visit one of our locations for a free injury screening from a professional physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Pacific, 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 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 crucial in preventing injury and improving your mobility.
• 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 — Balance issues are commonly due to:
  • Problems with eyesight
  • 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

A professional physical therapist in Pacific, MO will find the root of your limitations in mobility and develop a safe and effective treatment plan to improve your movement health. In addition to therapeutic 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 Pacific, 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 Pacific, 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 for both acute and chronic conditions without needing to depend on painkillers or opioids
• If applicable, the opportunity to avoid surgery by motivating your body to heal on its own
• Mobility education, including physical therapy techniques you can do in the comfort of your own home with no risk to injury, injury prevention techniques, and correct posture
• Motivating better physical health, which leads to enhanced energy, lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease, contributes to a healthy weight, improves your mood, and encourages your body to get a full 8 hours of sleep

Other services we offer in Pacific, MO include:

• Soft Tissue Mobilization
• Post Surgical Rehabilitation
• Shin Splint Treatment
• Direct Access Physical Therapy
• Gait Analysis
• Pelvic Floor Therapy
• Dry Needling Near Me
• Tendonitis Treatment
• Manual Physical Therapy
• Orthopedic Rehab Near Me

Mobility in Pacific, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you are looking for hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to do basic things around the house, are in need of 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 works best for you. We pride ourselves on our client-centered approach. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location most convenient for you.