Mobility in Portage Des Sioux, MO. Our bodies are designed 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 also have an impact on our emotional well-being, Axes Physical Therapy in Portage Des Sioux, MO can provide you with treatment plans that have been proven to be successful and that are customized specifically to you and your needs. Whether your mobility is limited because of acute trauma, a disease, or a musculoskeletal problem such as sciatica, start on the road back to your best possible mobility and meaningful pain relief as soon as possible by scheduling an appointment 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 people that looks like picking up their grandchildren comfortably, while others have more active lifestyle desires like making a diving catch in their softball league. Whatever mobility means to you, if you can’t live the life you want pain-free consult with your doctor to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Portage Des Sioux, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to safely and efficiently move around in their home environment. This includes anything from comfortably laying down in bed each night or getting in and out of the shower safely. In general, 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 — 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 — Whether or not you can walk, and can do so while carrying things.

If you currently need assistance to be functionally mobile, the Portage Des Sioux, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are devoted to getting your independence back. Whether the condition affecting you is a sports injuryan rotator cuff tear tear, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a degenerative condition like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll create a customized plan that has been proven to help people like you return to the best possible mobility. Part of your treatment will likely be simple and safe strengthening, balance, and flexibility training. Our therapists are also highly trained in vestibular therapy for people who have a debilitating vestibular disorder.

The seven level Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is the staple of how to assess functional mobility in Portage Des Sioux, MO:

1. Complete independence, meaning you can achieve specific mobility thresholds without assistance and without taking an excessive amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you need a device such as crutches to complete the task
3. Supervision, meaning you can complete the task by yourself but need someone to monitor you to prevent risk of injury
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while a physical therapist does the rest
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can exert 50% of the effort necessary
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can put in a quarter of the work of the task independently
7. Total assistance or not testable, meaning you are unable to put in a quarter of the effort required, or that the activity is not safe to test

At Axes Physical Therapy in Portage Des Sioux, MO, your customized treatment plan may include safely 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 at your first appointment with your professional physical therapist, they will perform a comprehensive examination of your health to ensure that the exercises we use are safe for someone suffering from the same ailment you are.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Portage Des Sioux, MO

To be sure, simply walking up the stairs without assistance 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 carry out every day in order to provide for your Portage Des Sioux, MO family. At Axes, we offer comprehensive physical and occupational physical therapy that can help any athlete, worker, or family member achieve the activity level they desire. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our Portage Des Sioux, 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 helping our Portage Des Sioux, 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 in some capacity.
• Sports therapy — The last thing anyone who loves playing sports wants to experience is a sudden pop or crack that sidelines them and keeps them from what they love for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. Our Portage Des Sioux, 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 also specialize in 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 team up with the doctors recommending and performing your surgery to ease your worry, and develop a successful game plan to restore optimal mobility.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and the level of movement health you desire, consult with your Portage Des Sioux, MO doctor about whether or not physical therapy is a good option for you, or come see us for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening from a professional physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Portage Des Sioux, 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 essential in preventing injury and improving your mobility.
• 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 at their highest level.
• Balance — Balance issues are usually due to:
  • Problems with vision
  • A vestibular issue, 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO will be able to identify the source of your mobility issues and come up with a treatment plan, based on empirical research to get you back to the lifestyle you enjoy most. Beyond 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 teaching good posture

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

How Physical Therapy in Portage Des Sioux, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

The benefits of physical therapy go beyond just getting around easier, getting back to work, or getting back on the field. Your proven treatment plans:

• Pain relief for both acute and chronic conditions without needing to depend on costly and potentially habit forming prescription drugs
• In some cases, the potential to avoid a surgical procedure by encouraging the body’s natural way of healing itself
• Mobility education, including physical therapy techniques you can safely do at home, injury prevention techniques, and the best postures for improved mobility
• Motivating you to maintain an active lifestyle, which leads to increased energy, decreases your odds of developing cardiovascular disease, contributes to a healthy weight, improves your mood, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in Portage Des Sioux, 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you need hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to do basic everyday things, are in need of meaningful pain management for sciatica, 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 the activities you love. We employ a client-centered approach. To get back your independence and active lifestyle, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location most convenient for you.