Mobility in St. Louis, MO. Our bodies are designed to to make walking and other movements easy. But sometimes, our mobility is impeded and it impedes us from doing what we love most. While losing your independence because of losing your mobility affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in St. Louis, MO can provide you with safe, effective, and proven solutions that are built specifically to you and your needs. Whether your mobility limitations are the result of an injury, a chronic condition, or a musculoskeletal issue such as sciatica, begin your journey to optimal mobility and comfort now by requesting an appointment with Axes today or calling the location nearest you.

The one definition of mobility is, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some of us that may mean getting in and out of a chair comfortably, while for others it may mean serving an ace on the tennis court. Whatever you need to improve your movement health for, if your mobility is severely restricted speak with your doctor about professional physical therapy services.

Functional Mobility in St. Louis, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to complete daily tasks. This can be anything from getting in and out of bed or getting in and out of the shower safely. Fundamentally, there are three types of functional mobility:

1. Bed mobility — Your ability to scoot, roll, and get in and out of bed with ease.
2. Transfers — Whether or not you are able to move from one place to a different one, for example from a chair, bed, or sofa to another.
3. Ambulation — If you can walk on your own while having objects in your hands.

If you currently need assistance to be functionally mobile, the St. Louis, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are devoted to helping you regain your freedom. 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 guide you through your journey to optimal movement health. We will guide you in strengthening, balance, and flexibility movements. Our therapists are also highly trained in vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause dizziness and vertigo.

St. Louis, MO physical therapists often rely on the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) of seven levels to assess someone’s functional mobility:

1. Complete independence, meaning you can move in a certain way safely and in a timely manner
2. Modified independence, meaning you can perform specific movements but only with an assistive device
3. Supervision, meaning you can perform the movement independently but need someone close by so you don’t hurt yourself
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while a physical therapist helps you the rest of the way
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can perform about 50% of the work necessary
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 St. Louis, MO, your customized treatment plan may include safely taking you from the first level to the highest level possible. All of our methods are proven to be safe and effective through extensive clinical studies, and when you and your licensed physical therapist first meet, they will perform a thorough examination of your health to confirm that the exercises we use are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in St. Louis, MO

Needless to say, simply being to move between chairs comfortably does not define optimal movement health for many of us. There are doubles to hit in your softball league, your children to pick up, and the occupational tasks of the job you carry out every day so that you can earn a living for your St. Louis, 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 St. Louis, 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 St. Louis, MO community and supporting your family as you want to. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to determine what activity level you can safely carry out.
• Sports therapy — The last thing any athlete wants to experience is a sudden pop or crack that keeps them inactive and limited for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. Our St. Louis, 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 are big believers in teaching 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 elective or medically necessary, we’ll team up with the doctors recommending and performing your surgery to help you feel confident in your treatment, and develop an effective game plan to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and lifestyle you are trying to get back to, consult with your St. Louis, 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 no-risk, no-obligation injury screening from a licensed physical or occupational therapist.

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

The four determinants 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. Surrounding our joints with healthy and equally strong muscles is imperative in preventing injury and reaching optimal movement health.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To reach the movement health and lifestyle we desire, 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:
  • Vision issues
  • A vestibular disorder, or something in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, the sense of awareness ingrained in our muscles and joints

An experienced physical therapist in St. Louis, MO will be able to identify the source of your limitations in mobility and develop a treatment plan, based on evidence 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 teaching good posture

If your doctor and therapy team agree, a physical therapist in St. Louis, MO can also create custom medically accepted assistive devices such as splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to aid you in your mobility and reduce risk of injury.

How Physical Therapy in St. Louis, 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 see the following benefits:

• Pain relief for both acute and chronic conditions without the need of painkillers or opioids
• In some cases, the potential to avoid a surgical procedure by encouraging the body’s own healing methods
• Movement health education, including exercises 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, which leads to enhanced energy, decreases your odds of developing cardiovascular disease, helps control weight, makes you feel better, and encourages your body to get a full 8 hours of sleep

Other services we offer in St. Louis, 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 St. Louis, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you are looking for hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to write, are in need of meaningful pain management for sciatica, 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 pride ourselves on our 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 that works best for you.