Mobility in Scotsdale, MO. Our bodies are built to to make walking and other movements easy. 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 also have an impact on our emotional well-being, Axes Physical Therapy in Scotsdale, MO can provide you with safe, effective, and proven treatment plans that are tailored specifically to getting you back to the life you want to live. Whether your mobility limitations are the result of an injury, a disease, or a musculoskeletal issue such as sciatica, begin your journey to your best possible movement health and a pain-free daily life as soon as possible by setting up a mobility and injury analysis with Axes today or calling the the one of our multiple locations most convenient for you.

The dictionary definition of mobility is, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some Scotsdale, MO residents that looks like getting in and out of a chair comfortably, while others need to get back to making a diving catch in their softball league. Whatever you need to improve your movement health for, if you can’t live the life you want pain-free speak with your doctor to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Scotsdale, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to complete basic tasks. This can be simple tasks such as getting in and out of bed 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 — Your ability to switch between surfaces, for example from a bed to a chair.
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 tasks above without a person or assistive device helping you, the Scotsdale, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are committed to getting your autonomy back. Whether your currently limited functional mobility was caused by a knee injury, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a degenerative condition like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll create a tailor-made plan that safely and correctly helps you reach the best possible movement health. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility movements. We also offer vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause dizziness and vertigo.

The seven level Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is the staple of how to determine functional mobility in Scotsdale, 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 can perform certain movements but only with an assistive device
3. Supervision, meaning you can complete the task by yourself but need someone next to you to prevent risk of injury
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while someone else helps you the rest of the way
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can exert 50% of the effort needed
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 work required, or that even testing whether or not you can do it could lead to you becoming hurt

At Axes Physical Therapy in Scotsdale, MO, your personalized treatment plan may include safely 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 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 Scotsdale, MO

Of course, simply rolling over in bed without limitations 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 vocational tasks you need to carry out every day so that you can put food on the table for your Scotsdale, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any athlete, worker, or family member reach the optimal movement health they need to get back to the activities they love. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our Scotsdale, MO occupational therapists are crucial 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 contributing to our Scotsdale, MO community and providing for your family as you always have. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to ascertain if you can safely go back to work either fully or at some level.
• Sports therapy — The last thing any athlete wants to experience is an unexpected pop or crack that keeps them inactive and limited 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 Scotsdale, 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 can also educate you on the specifics of 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 help you feel confident in your treatment, and formulate a proven plan of action to restore optimal mobility.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and lifestyle you are trying to get back to, consult with your Scotsdale, 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 clinically experienced physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Scotsdale, 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 helps to make sure no muscle is stronger or weaker than it should be in relation to the muscles around it. Having equal muscle balance around joints is vital to preventing injury and improving your mobility.
• 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, tendons, 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 vision
  • 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 licensed physical therapist in Scotsdale, MO will be able to identify the source of your limitations in mobility and develop a safe and effective treatment plan to improve your movement health. In addition to restorative 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 Scotsdale, MO can also mold your very own medically accepted assistive devices including splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to best facilitate movement.

How Physical Therapy in Scotsdale, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

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

• Pain relief, whether from an injury or pain that is chronic in nature without the need of painkillers or opioids
• In some cases, the potential to avoid surgery by motivating your body to heal on its own
• Patient education, including physical therapy techniques you can do in the comfort of your own home with no risk to injury, what you can do to prevent injuries, and the best postures for improved mobility
• Encouraging better physical health, which leads to increased energy, lowers your odds of developing heart disease, helps control weight, makes you feel better, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in Scotsdale, 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 Scotsdale, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you need 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 return to your active lifestyle following acute trauma, Axes’ team of licensed physical and occupational therapists is here to help you get back to the activities you love. We take a an approach that focuses on personalized treatment. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location most convenient for you.