Mobility in St. Clair, MO. Our bodies are built to to make walking and other movements easy. But sometimes, our bodies don’t work the way they should and it keeps us from the activities we love. While that loss of physical mobility also have an impact on our emotional well-being, Axes Physical Therapy in St. Clair, MO can provide you with solutions that have been proven to get results and that are built specifically to you, your age, and your desired activity level. Whether your mobility is limited because of an injury, a disease, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, begin your journey to your best possible mobility and a pain-free daily life now by scheduling a mobility and injury analysis with Axes today or calling the the one of our 15 locations most convenient for you.

The one definition of mobility is, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some of us that may mean picking up their grandchildren without pain, while others have more active lifestyle desires like making a diving catch in their softball league. Whatever it means to you, if your mobility is severely restricted speak with your doctor to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in St. Clair, MO

Functional mobility is the capacity one has to complete daily 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 — Your ability to comfortably 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 another, 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.

While the injury or condition affecting your functional mobility may mean that you currently rely on assistance in order to operate in your daily life, the St. Clair, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are dedicated to helping you regain your freedom. Whether you currently lack full functional mobility as a result of a sports injuryan rotator cuff tear tear, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a central nervous system disorder like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll implement a tailor-made plan that safely and correctly helps you reach the best possible movement health. Part of your treatment will likely be simple and safe strengthening, balance, and flexibility exercises. We also offer 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 St. Clair, MO:

1. Complete independence, meaning you are able to complete a specified task safely and in a relatively normal amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you can perform specific movements but only with a walker, a cane, or crutches
3. Supervision, meaning you can complete the task by yourself but need someone to monitor you so you don’t hurt yourself
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while a physical therapist does the rest
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can perform about half of the work needed
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can complete about 25% of the task yourself
7. Total assistance or not testable, meaning you are unable to put in 25% of the effort required, or that the activity is not safe to test

At Axes Physical Therapy in St. Clair, MO, your tailor-made treatment plan may include gradually taking you up through the seven levels, or at least to the highest level possible. All of our methods are proven to be safe and effective through extensive clinical studies, and your dedicated physical therapist will begin your mobility treatment with a comprehensive evaluation of your health to ensure that the exercises we use are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in St. Clair, MO

To be sure, simply rolling over in bed comfortably 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 perform every day so that you can put food on the table for your St. Clair, MO family. At Axes, we offer comprehensive physical and occupational physical therapy that can help any individual achieve the activity level they desire. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our St. Clair, 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 helping our St. Clair, MO community and supporting your family as you want to. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to ascertain if you are ready to return to your job.
• Sports therapy — Every athletes worst nightmare is an unexpected pop or crack that keeps them inactive and limited for weeks, months, or longer. Our St. Clair, 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 can also educate you on the specifics of injury prevention to help you avoid re-injury.
• 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 give you piece of mind, and develop a successful game plan to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and the extent to wish you want to improve it, consult with your St. Clair, MO doctor about what physical therapy can do for you, or visit one of our locations for a no-obligation injury screening from a clinically experienced physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in St. Clair, MO Can Help Improve Your Mobility

Our mobility is based on 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 crucial 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 — Problems with balance are commonly caused by:
  • Vision issues
  • A vestibular disorder, or a problem in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, the sense of awareness ingrained in our muscles and joints

A professional physical therapist in St. Clair, MO will be able to identify the source of your limitations in mobility and develop a safe and effective treatment plan to get you back to the lifestyle you enjoy most. In addition to restorative strength, flexibility, and core exercises, We can help you improve your mobility with:

• Soft tissue mobilization
• Kinesio Taping®
• Trigger point dry needling
• Blood flow restriction training
• Posture correction and good posture education

If required, a physical therapist in St. Clair, 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 St. Clair, 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, 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
• Movement health education, including physical therapy techniques you can safely do at home, what you can do to prevent injuries, and correct posture
• Encouraging better physical health, carries with it the benefits of enhanced energy, decreases your odds of developing heart disease, helps control weight, makes you feel better, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in St. Clair, MO include:

• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation
• Pain Management Services
• TMJ Treatment
• Herniated Disc Treatment

Mobility in St. Clair, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you need hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to open jars, are looking for meaningful pain management for joint problems, 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 leads to positive patient outcomes. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or call the location most convenient for you.