Mobility in Paulina Hills, MO. Our bodies are meant to be on the go. But sometimes, we sustain an injury or other condition that impedes 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 Paulina Hills, MO offers solutions that have been proven to be successful and that are built specifically to you and your needs. Regardless of whether your mobility is limited because of an injury, a degenerative condition, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, take the first steps in your best possible movement health and comfort as soon as possible by setting up a free evaluation with Axes today or calling the location nearest you.

The one definition of mobility is, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some Paulina Hills, MO residents that looks like getting in and out of a chair without pain, while others have more active lifestyle desires like making a diving catch in their softball league. Whatever you need to improve your movement health for, if your mobility is severely restricted consult with a physician to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Paulina Hills, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to complete daily tasks. This can be anything from rolling over in bed or walking up a flight of stairs. Fundamentally, functional mobility is typically though of in three different ways:

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 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.

If you cannot currently complete some or all of the tasks above without a person or assistive device helping you, the Paulina Hills, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are dedicated to getting your independence back. Whether you currently lack full functional mobility because of a sports injuryan rotator cuff tear tear, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a a progressive disorder like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll create a personalized plan that safely and correctly helps you reach optimal mobility. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility exercises. Our therapists are also experts vestibular therapy for people who have a debilitating vestibular disorder.

Paulina Hills, MO physical therapists often use the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) of seven levels to assess someone’s functional mobility:

1. Complete independence, meaning you can achieve specific mobility thresholds safely and without taking an excessive amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you need a device such as a walker to complete the task
3. Stand-by assist, meaning you can perform the movement by yourself but need someone to monitor you so you don’t hurt yourself
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can exert 75% of the effort needed to complete the task or more while a physical therapist does the rest
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can perform about half of the work necessary
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can complete about 25% of the task yourself
7. Total assistance or not testable, meaning you can complete less than 25% of the task, or that the activity is not safe to test

At Axes Physical Therapy in Paulina Hills, MO, your tailor-made treatment plan may include safely taking you from the first level to the highest level you are able to achieve. All of our methods are based on what research says works best for you, and your dedicated physical therapist will begin your mobility treatment with a comprehensive evaluation of your health to ensure that the exercises we have in mind for you are safe for someone suffering from the same ailment you are.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Paulina Hills, MO

Of course, simply walking up the stairs pain-free does not define optimal movement health for many of us. There are corners to burn on the football field, your pets to pick up, and the occupational tasks of the job you carry out every day in order to provide for your Paulina Hills, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any individual reach the optimal movement health they need to get back to the activities they love. Our services also include:

• Occupational therapy — Our Paulina Hills, MO occupational therapists are an essential part of getting you back to work after a work-related injury. We serve as an integral member of your workers’ compensation team so you can get back to contributing to our Paulina Hills, MO community and supporting your family as you always have. 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 an unexpected fall or collision that keeps them off the field or court for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. If you suffer an ACL tear, rotator cuff tear, or other sports injury, Axes Physical Therapy in Paulina Hills, 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 are big believers in teaching injury prevention to help you avoid re-injury.
• 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 an effective strategy to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

However limited you currently are in your mobility, and the level of improved mobility you desire, consult with your Paulina Hills, MO doctor about whether or not physical therapy is advisable, 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 Paulina Hills, 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. Surrounding our joints with healthy and equally strong muscles is vital to preventing injury and reaching optimal movement health.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To reach the movement health and lifestyle we desire, our muscles, ligaments, 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 are:
  • Problems with eyesight
  • A vestibular issue, or something in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, the sense of awareness ingrained in our muscles and joints

A licensed physical therapist in Paulina Hills, MO will find the root of your mobility issues and come up with a treatment plan, based on empirical research to improve your movement health. In addition to 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 good posture education

If necessary, a physical therapist in Paulina Hills, MO can also fit you for medically accepted assistive devices including splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to aid you in your mobility and reduce risk of injury.

How Physical Therapy in Paulina Hills, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

Physical therapy does more than just increase mobility. As we work to reach optimal movement health, you’ll also enjoy:

• Pain relief for both acute and chronic conditions without the need of painkillers or opioids
• In some cases, the potential to avoid a surgical procedure by stimulating the body’s natural way of healing itself
• Patient education, including exercises you can safely do at home, what you can do to prevent injuries, and correct posture
• Motivating better physical health, carries with it the benefits of increased energy, decreases your risk of heart disease, helps control weight, makes you feel better, and encourages your body to get a full 8 hours of sleep

Other services we offer in Paulina Hills, 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 Paulina Hills, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you are looking for hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to use a computer, are looking for meaningful pain management for arthritis, or want to get back on the field after a sports injury, Axes’ team of licensed physical and occupational therapists is here to help you get back to the activities you love. We practice a client-centered approach. To get back your independence and active lifestyle, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location nearest for you.