Mobility in St. Peters, MO. Our bodies are meant to move. But sometimes, our mobility is impeded and it keeps us from the activities we love. While losing your independence because of losing your mobility affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in St. Peters, MO can provide you with safe, effective, and evidence-backed solutions that are tailored specifically to you, your age, and your desired activity level. Whether your mobility limitations are the result of acute trauma, a disease, or a musculoskeletal problem such as sciatica, start on the road back to optimal mobility 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 of us that looks like picking up their kids without pain, while others have more active lifestyle desires like 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 a physician to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in St. Peters, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to safely and efficiently move around in their home environment. This includes anything from rolling over in bed 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 scoot, roll, and get in and out of bed pain-free.
2. Transfers — Whether or not you are able to move from one surface to another, for example from one chair to another.
3. Ambulation — Whether or not you can walk, and can do so while carrying things.

While the injury or condition limiting your functional mobility may mean that you currently rely on assistance in order to complete basic tasks, the St. Peters, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are committed to getting your self-sufficiency back. Whether the condition affecting you is a sports injuryan rotator cuff tear tear, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a a progressive disorder like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll guide you through your journey to optimal mobility. Part of your treatment will likely be simple and safe strengthening, balance, and flexibility movements. Our therapists are also highly trained in 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 assess functional mobility in St. Peters, MO:

1. Complete independence, meaning you are able to complete a specified task without risk of injury and without taking an excessive amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you need a device such as a walker to complete the task
3. Supervision, meaning you can perform the movement by yourself but need someone to monitor you for safety
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while someone else does the rest
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can perform about half of the work necessary
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 can complete less than 25% of the task, or that even testing whether or not you can do it is not safe

At Axes Physical Therapy in St. Peters, MO, your tailor-made treatment plan may include gradually taking you up through the seven levels, or at least to the highest level you are able to achieve. 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 thorough evaluation of your health to confirm that the treatment modalities we have in mind for you are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in St. Peters, MO

Of course, simply walking up the stairs without limitations does not define optimal movement health for many of us. There are corners to burn on the football field, your pets to play with, and the vocational tasks you need to carry out every day in order to provide for your St. Peters, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any individual improve mobility they need to get back to the activities they love. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our St. Peters, 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 being an integral member of our St. Peters, MO community and supporting your family as you always have. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to ascertain what activity level you can safely carry out.
• Sports therapy — Every athletes worst nightmare is a sudden injury that sidelines them and keeps them from what they love for weeks, months, or longer. Our St. Peters, 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 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 elective or medically necessary, we’ll work with your physician and surgeons to form a complete surgical team to give you piece of mind, and develop a proven game plan to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

However limited you currently are in your mobility, and the level of improved mobility you desire, consult with your St. Peters, 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 qualified physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in St. Peters, 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 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 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 — Problems with balance are commonly caused by:
  • Problems with vision
  • A vestibular condition, or a problem in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, the sense of awareness ingrained in our muscles and joints

A licensed physical therapist in St. Peters, 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. Beyond 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 good posture education

If your doctor and therapy team agree, a physical therapist in St. Peters, MO can also mold your very own medically accepted assistive devices including splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to aid you in your mobility and reduce risk of injury.

How Physical Therapy in St. Peters, 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 for both acute and chronic conditions without needing to depend on prescription medications
• If applicable, the potential to avoid surgery by motivating your body to heal on its own
• Movement health education, including physical therapy techniques you can do in the comfort of your own home with no risk to injury, injury prevention techniques, and correct posture
• Motivating you to maintain an active lifestyle, which leads to increased energy, decreases your risk of 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. Peters, MO include:

• Dry Needling Near Me
• Tendonitis Treatment
• Manual Physical Therapy
• Orthopedic Rehab Near Me
• Beginner Running Program
• Chronic Pain Treatment
• Spine Specialist Near Me
• MCL Injury
• Shoulder Pain
• Injury Prevention

Mobility in St. Peters, 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 sciatica, or want to get back on the field after a sports injury, Axes’ team of licensed physical and occupational therapists is here to help you get back to what you love doing most. 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.