Mobility in Winchester, MO. Our bodies are designed to move. But sometimes, we sustain an injury or other condition that impedes us from the activities we love. While that loss of physical mobility affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in Winchester, MO can provide you with treatment plans that have been proven to work and that are customized specifically to you, your age, and your desired activity level. Regardless of whether your mobility limitations are the result of an injury, a disease, or a musculoskeletal condition such as sciatica, take the first steps in your best possible movement health and a pain-free daily life as soon as possible by scheduling 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 people 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 mobility means to you, if you can’t live the life you want pain-free consult with a physician about professional physical therapy services.

Functional Mobility in Winchester, MO

Functional mobility is the capacity one has to safely get around their home. This can be simple tasks such as moving around in bed or walking up a flight of stairs. 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 place to another, for example from a chair, bed, or sofa to another.
3. Ambulation — Your ability to walk freely without the need of assistance. This also includes walking while being able to carry objects.

If you cannot currently complete some or all of the activities above without a person or assistive device helping you, the Winchester, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are dedicated to helping you restore your freedom. Whether the condition affecting you is 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. We will guide you in strengthening, balance, and flexibility training. Our therapists are also experts vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause sensory dysfunction.

Winchester, MO physical therapists often use the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) of seven levels to evaluate someone’s functional mobility:

1. Complete independence, meaning you can achieve specific mobility thresholds without assistance and without taking an excessive 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 standing by so you don’t hurt yourself
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can exert 75% of the effort needed to complete the task or more while a physical therapist does the rest
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can exert 50% of the effort necessary
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can complete about 25% of the task without assistance
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 Winchester, MO, your tailor-made treatment plan may include safely allowing you more and more independence until you get the highest level you can. 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 examination of your health to ensure that the treatment modalities we use are safe for someone suffering from the same ailment you are.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Winchester, MO

Of course, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just rolling over in bed independently. There are doubles to hit in your softball league, your pets to play with, and the vocational tasks you need to perform every day in order to earn a living for your Winchester, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any individual reach the optimal movement health they need to get back to the activities they love. Our services also include:

• Occupational therapy — Our Winchester, MO occupational therapists are crucial to your recovery when an injury or condition limits the mobility needed to to do your hob. We serve as an integral member of your workers’ compensation team so you can get back to helping our Winchester, 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 worst-case scenario for any athlete is an unexpected pop or crack that keeps them inactive and limited for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. If you suffer an ACL tear, rotator cuff tear, or other sports injury, Axes Physical Therapy in Winchester, MO will help you restore your mobility and get you back on the field or court as soon as is safely possible. Our Certified Athletic Trainers are big believers in teaching 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 a matter of choice or a strong recommendation from a physician, we’ll team up with the doctors recommending and performing your surgery to give you piece of mind, and develop an effective plan of action to get the best possible outcome from your procedure.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and the level of improved mobility you desire, consult with your Winchester, MO doctor about whether or not physical therapy is a good option for you, or come see us for a complimentary injury screening from a professional physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Winchester, 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. Surrounding our joints with healthy and equally strong muscles is vital to preventing injury and improving your mobility.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To achieve optimal movement health, our muscles, ligaments, and other soft tissue need to be able to lengthen so that the joints they control and protect can function properly.
• Balance — Frequent causes of balance issues include:
  • Problems with eyesight
  • A vestibular issue, or a problem in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, or the network between your sensory receptors and your nervous system

An experienced physical therapist in Winchester, MO will find the root of your limitations in mobility and develop a safe and effective treatment plan to improve your movement health. In addition to restorative 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 teaching correct posture

If your doctor and therapy team agree, a physical therapist in Winchester, MO can also fit you for 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 Winchester, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

Physical therapy does more than just increase mobility. As we work to reach optimal movement health, you’ll also see the following benefits:

• Pain relief for both acute and chronic conditions without needing to depend on costly and potentially habit forming prescription drugs
• If applicable, the potential to avoid a surgical procedure by stimulating the body’s own healing methods
• Patient education, including physical therapy techniques you can do in the comfort of your own home with no risk to injury, injury prevention techniques, and the best postures for improved mobility
• Motivating you to maintain an active lifestyle, carries with it the benefits of enhanced energy, decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease, helps control weight, improves your mood, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in Winchester, 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 Winchester, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you are looking for hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to open jars, are in need of 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 the activities you love. We pride ourselves on our client-centered approach. To get back your independence and active lifestyle, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or call the location that works best for you.