Mobility in Saint Paul, MO. Our bodies are built to be on the go. But sometimes, our mobility is impeded and it prevents us from doing what we love most. While experiencing pain and other factors that affect mobility can affect our mental health as well, Axes Physical Therapy in Saint Paul, MO can provide you with safe, effective, and evidence-backed solutions that are tailored specifically to getting you back to the life you want to live. No matter if 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 scheduling an appointment with Axes today or calling the location nearest you.

The dictionary defines mobility as, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some Saint Paul, MO residents that is as simple as walking up the stairs without pain, while others need to get back to sprinting down the basketball court on a fast break. Whatever you need to improve your movement health for, if you can’t live the life you want comfortable consult with a physician to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Saint Paul, MO

Functional mobility is the capacity one has to complete basic tasks. This includes anything from moving around in bed or getting in and out of the shower safely. In general, functional mobility can be broken down into three categories:

1. Bed mobility — Whether or not you are able to to easily move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Your ability to switch between places, 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 cannot currently complete some or all of the activities above without a person or assistive device helping you, the Saint Paul, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are dedicated to helping you restore your self-sufficiency. Whether you currently lack full functional mobility because of a knee injury, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a degenerative condition like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll guide you through your journey to the best possible mobility. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility exercises. We also offer vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause dizziness and vertigo.

Saint Paul, MO physical therapists often use the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) of seven levels to determine someone’s functional mobility:

1. Complete independence, meaning you can complete a specified task without assistance and in a relatively normal amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you can perform certain movements but only with an assistive device
3. Stand-by assist, 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 work needed to complete the task or more while someone else helps you the rest of the way
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can exert half of the effort required
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 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 Saint Paul, MO, your customized 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 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 verify that the treatment modalities we have in mind for you are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Saint Paul, MO

To be sure, simply rolling over in bed independently does not define optimal movement health for many of us. There are pickleball leagues to dominate, your children to play with, and the physical demands of the job you carry out every day so that you can earn a living for your Saint Paul, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any athlete, worker, or family member achieve the activity level they desire. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our Saint Paul, MO occupational therapists are crucial to your recovery 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 contributing to our Saint Paul, MO community and providing for your family as you want to. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to determine what functional capacities you are capable of.
• Sports therapy — Every athletes worst nightmare is an unexpected pop or crack 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 Saint Paul, MO will help you regain 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 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 an effective 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 Saint Paul, MO doctor about whether or not physical therapy is advisable, or come see us for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening from a licensed physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Saint Paul, 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 achieve muscle balance. Achieving equal muscle balance around joints is essential in preventing injury and reaching optimal movement health.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To improve our mobility to the highest level we can, 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 — Frequent causes of balance issues are:
  • 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

An experienced physical therapist in Saint Paul, MO will determine what is causing your mobility issues and develop a safe and effective treatment plan to get you back to the activities you love. 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 good posture education

If necessary, a physical therapist in Saint Paul, MO can also create custom medically accepted assistive devices including splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to help you achieve the best possible mobility.

How Physical Therapy in Saint Paul, 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. As we work to reach optimal movement health, you’ll also enjoy:

• Pain relief, whether from an injury or pain that is chronic in nature without needing to depend on prescription medications
• If applicable, the potential to avoid surgery by encouraging the body’s natural way of healing itself
• Movement health education, including exercises 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, decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease, contributes to a healthy weight, makes you feel better, and encourages your body to get a full 8 hours of sleep

Other services we offer in Saint Paul, 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 Saint Paul, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you are looking for hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to type, are looking for meaningful pain management for arthritis, 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 take a leads to positive patient outcomes. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or reach out to the location most convenient for you.