Mobility in St. Peters, 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 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 proven treatment plans that are customized specifically to you, your age, and your desired activity level. Whether your mobility limitations are the result of acute trauma, a chronic condition, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal structure such as sciatica, take the first steps in optimal movement health and comfort now by setting up an appointment 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 people that looks like walking up the stairs comfortably, while others have more active lifestyle desires like serving an ace on the tennis court. Whatever it means to you, if you can’t live the life you want comfortable consult with your doctor about professional physical therapy services.

Functional Mobility in St. Peters, MO

Functional mobility is the capacity one has to safely and efficiently get around their home. This can be anything from moving around in bed or walking up a flight of stairs. In general, functional mobility can be broken down into three categories:

1. Bed mobility — Whether or not you can to comfortably move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Whether or not you are able to switch between places, 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 complete basic tasks, the St. Peters, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are devoted to helping you restore your independence. Whether your currently limited functional mobility was caused by a sports injuryan rotator cuff tear tear, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a degenerative condition like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll develop a personalized plan that has been proven to help people like you return to the best possible movement health. Part of your treatment will likely be simple and safe strengthening, balance, and flexibility movements. Our therapists are also specialists vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause sensory dysfunction.

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

1. Complete independence, meaning you are able to achieve specific mobility thresholds 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. Stand-by assist, meaning you can perform the movement by yourself but need someone next to you so you don’t hurt yourself
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while someone else does the rest
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can exert 50% of the effort necessary
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can put in a quarter of the work of the task yourself
7. Total assistance or not testable, meaning you are unable to put in 25% of the effort required, or that even testing whether or not you can do it carries the risk of injury

At Axes Physical Therapy in St. Peters, MO, your customized treatment plan may include gradually taking you up through the seven levels, or at least to the highest level possible. All of our treatment plans 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 comprehensive 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 St. Peters, MO

To be sure, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just rolling over in bed without limitations. There are doubles to hit in your softball league, your children to play with, and the occupational tasks of the job you carry out every day so that you can put food on the table for your St. Peters, MO family. At Axes, we offer comprehensive physical and occupational physical therapy that 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 St. Peters, MO occupational therapists are an essential part of getting you back to work after a work-related injury. We team up with you and your physician, insurance carrier, workers’ compensation lawyer and employer so you can get back to helping our St. Peters, MO community and providing for your family the best way you can. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to determine if you can safely go back to work either fully or in some capacity.
• Sports therapy — The worst-case scenario for anyone who loves playing sports is an unexpected injury that keeps them off the field or court for weeks, months, or longer. If you suffer an ACL tear, rotator cuff tear, or other sports injury, Axes Physical Therapy in St. Peters, MO will help you regain your mobility and get you back on the field or court as soon as is safely possible. Our Certified Athletic Trainers also specialize in injury prevention to help you reduce the risk of having to go through an injury again.
• Pre/post surgical rehabilitation — Surgery is a complex and nerve-racking procedure for anyone. 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 formulate a successful strategy to restore optimal mobility.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and the extent to wish you want to improve it, consult with your St. Peters, MO doctor about whether or not physical therapy is advisable, or visit one of our locations for a complimentary injury screening from a clinically experienced physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in St. Peters, 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 ensures that no muscle is disproportionately strong or weak. Having proportionately strong muscles around joints is vital to preventing injury and improving your mobility.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To reach the movement health and lifestyle we desire, our muscles, tendons, and other soft tissue need to be able to lengthen so that the joints they control and protect can function at their highest level.
• Balance — Frequent causes of balance issues are:
  • 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. Peters, MO will determine what is causing your limitations in mobility and come up with a safe and effective treatment plan to improve your movement health. Beyond 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 your doctor and therapy team agree, a physical therapist in St. Peters, MO can also create custom medically accepted assistive devices such as splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to help you achieve the best possible mobility.

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 improve your movement health, you’ll also see the following benefits:

• Pain relief, whether from an injury or pain that is chronic in nature without having to use costly and potentially habit forming prescription drugs
• In some cases, the potential to avoid a surgical procedure by encouraging the body’s natural way of healing itself
• Mobility education, including exercises you can safely do at home, injury prevention techniques, and the best postures for improved mobility
• Motivating you to maintain an active lifestyle, carries with it the benefits of increased energy, decreases your risk of heart disease, contributes to a healthy 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:

• 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. Peters, 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 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 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 find the location that works best for you.