Mobility in Twin Oaks, MO. Our bodies are built to move. 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 affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in Twin Oaks, MO offers safe, effective, and evidence-backed solutions that are customized specifically to you and your needs. Regardless of whether your mobility is limited because of acute trauma, a disease, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, take the first steps in optimal mobility and a pain-free daily life as soon as possible by setting up a mobility and injury analysis 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 Twin Oaks, MO residents that may mean getting in and out of a chair comfortably, while others have more active lifestyle desires like sprinting down the basketball court on a fast break. Whatever mobility means to you, if you can’t live the life you want comfortable consult with your doctor to see if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

Functional Mobility in Twin Oaks, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to safely get around their home. This can be simple tasks such as rolling over in bed or walking up a flight of stairs. In general, there are three types of functional mobility:

1. Bed mobility — Whether or not you are able to to scoot, roll, and get in and out of bed with ease.
2. Transfers — Your ability to move from one place to a different one, for example from a bed to a chair.
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 the aid of a person or assistive device, the Twin Oaks, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are devoted to getting your self-sufficiency back. Whether you currently lack full functional mobility because of 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 the best possible movement health. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility movements. Our therapists are also highly trained in vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause sensory dysfunction.

Twin Oaks, 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 can complete a specified task safely and in a relatively normal amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you can perform certain movements but only with an assistive device
3. Supervision, meaning you can complete the task by yourself but need someone to monitor you for safety
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while someone else helps you the rest of the way
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can perform about half of the work needed
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can put in a quarter of the work of the task independently
7. Total assistance or not testable, meaning you are unable to put in a quarter of the work required, or that even testing whether or not you can do it is not safe

At Axes Physical Therapy in Twin Oaks, MO, your customized treatment plan may include gradually allowing you more and more independence until you get the highest level you can. 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 treatment modalities we use are safe for someone in your exact condition.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Twin Oaks, MO

To be sure, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just walking up the stairs independently. There are doubles to hit in your softball league, fun activities to share with your family, and the occupational tasks of the job you carry out every day so that you can provide for your Twin Oaks, 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. Our services also include:

• Occupational therapy — Our Twin Oaks, 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 Twin Oaks, MO community and supporting your family the best way you can. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to ascertain what activity level you can safely carry out.
• Sports therapy — The worst-case scenario for any athlete is a sudden fall or collision that keeps them inactive and limited for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. Our Twin Oaks, 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 makes anyone anxious. 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 ease your worry, and develop an effective plan of action to restore optimal mobility.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and the extent to wish you want to improve it, consult with your Twin Oaks, MO doctor about what physical therapy can do for you, or visit one of our locations for a complimentary injury screening from a licensed physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Twin Oaks, 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 to make sure no muscle is stronger or weaker than it should be in relation to the muscles around it. Achieving equal muscle balance around joints is essential in preventing injury and improving your mobility.
• 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 — Balance issues are typically caused by:
  • Vision issues
  • A vestibular issue, or something in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, the receptors in our muscles that monitor length, tension, pressure and noxious stimuli

A licensed physical therapist in Twin Oaks, MO will determine what is causing your limitations in mobility and come up with a treatment plan, based on evidence to improve your movement health. Beyond 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 necessary, a physical therapist in Twin Oaks, MO can also mold your very own medically accepted assistive devices such as splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to best facilitate movement.

How Physical Therapy in Twin Oaks, 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 the need of prescription medications
• If applicable, the potential to avoid surgery by motivating your body to heal on its own
• Mobility education, including exercises you can safely do at home, injury prevention techniques, and correct posture
• Motivating you to maintain an active lifestyle, which leads to increased energy, lowers your odds of developing heart disease, contributes to a healthy weight, makes you feel better, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in Twin Oaks, 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 Twin Oaks, 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 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 practice a an approach that focuses on personalized treatment. To restore the level of mobility you deserve, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location nearest for you.