Mobility in South County, MO. Our bodies are designed to move. 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 comfortably. While that loss of physical mobility affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in South County, MO offers treatment plans that have been proven to be successful and that are built specifically to you and your needs. Whether your mobility limitations are the result of acute trauma, a disease, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, start on the road back to your best possible movement health and a pain-free daily life now by requesting 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 South County, MO residents that may mean walking up the stairs without pain, while for others it may mean sprinting down the basketball court on a fast break. Whatever you need to improve your movement health for, if can’t complete the activities you want to consult with your doctor to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in South County, 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 — Whether or not you can to scoot, roll, and get in and out of bed pain-free.
2. Transfers — Your ability to move from one place to a different one, for example from one chair to another.
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 South County, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are committed to helping you restore your self-sufficiency. 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 design a customized plan that has been proven to help people like you return to optimal movement health. We will guide you in strengthening, balance, and flexibility exercises. Our therapists are also experts vestibular therapy for people who have a debilitating vestibular disorder.

The seven level Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is the main way to evaluate functional mobility in South County, MO:

1. Complete independence, meaning you are able to move in a certain way without risk of injury and in a timely manner
2. Modified independence, meaning you need a device such as a cane to complete the task
3. Supervision, meaning you can complete the task independently but need someone to monitor you so you don’t hurt yourself
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 needed
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 South County, MO, your personalized treatment plan may include gradually taking you from the first level to the highest level possible. 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 confirm that the exercises we use are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in South County, MO

Of course, simply being to move between chairs pain-free 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 occupational tasks of the job you perform every day in order to put food on the table for your South County, 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. Our services also include:

• Occupational therapy — Our South County, 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 team up with you and your physician, insurance carrier, attorney and employer so you can get back to helping our South County, MO community and supporting your family as you want to. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to determine if you are ready to return to your job.
• Sports therapy — The worst-case scenario for anyone who loves playing sports is an unexpected injury that sidelines them and keeps them from what they love for weeks, months, or longer. If you suffer an ACL tear, rotator cuff tear, or other sports injury, Axes Physical Therapy in South County, 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 reduce the risk of having to go through an injury again.
• 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 work with your physician and surgeons to form a complete surgical team to help you feel confident in your treatment, and formulate a proven game plan to restore optimal mobility.

However limited you currently are in your mobility, and the extent to wish you want to improve it, consult with your South County, MO doctor about whether or not physical therapy is advisable, or come see us for a free injury screening from a qualified physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in South County, MO Can Help Improve Your Mobility

The four tenets of mobility are our strength, flexibility, range of motion, and balance:

• Strength — While physical therapy is effective at rebuilding and maintaining strength, it also helps achieve muscle balance. Surrounding our joints with healthy and equally strong muscles is imperative in 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, 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 include:
  • Problems with vision
  • A vestibular issue, or something in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, or the network between your sensory receptors and your nervous system

An experienced physical therapist in South County, MO will be able to identify the source of your mobility issues and come up with a safe and effective treatment plan 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 teaching good posture

If required, a physical therapist in South County, 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 South County, 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 improve your movement health, you’ll also enjoy:

• Pain relief for both acute and chronic conditions without needing to depend on prescription medications
• Depending on the nature of your mobility limitations, the potential 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, what you can do to prevent injuries, and correct posture
• Encouraging you to maintain an active lifestyle, carries with it the benefits of enhanced energy, decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease, contributes to a healthy weight, makes you feel better, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in South County, 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 South County, 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 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 will develop and implement the treatment plan that works best for you. We employ a leads to positive patient outcomes. To get back your independence and active lifestyle, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or reach out to the location most convenient for you.