Mobility in Womack, MO. Our bodies are meant to to make walking and other movements easy. But sometimes, we sustain an injury or other condition that 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 Womack, MO can provide you with safe, effective, and proven treatment plans that are built specifically to you and your needs. Regardless of whether your mobility limitations are the result of an injury, a chronic condition, or a musculoskeletal problem such as sciatica, start on the road back to your best possible movement health and meaningful pain relief now by setting up a free evaluation with Axes today or calling the the one of our multiple locations most convenient for you.

The one definition of mobility is, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some of us that looks like rolling over in bed comfortably, while others have more active lifestyle desires like serving an ace on the tennis court. Whatever you need to improve your movement health for, if can’t complete the activities you want to consult with a physician about professional physical therapy and movement health services.

Functional Mobility in Womack, MO

Functional mobility is the capacity one has to complete basic tasks. This includes anything from rolling over in bed or carrying a cup of coffee to the next room and sitting down. In general, there are three types of functional mobility:

1. Bed mobility — Whether or not you are able to to comfortably move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Your ability to move from one place to a different one, for example from a bed to a chair.
3. Ambulation — If you can walk on your own while having objects in your hands.

If you cannot currently complete some or all of the activities above without a person or assistive device helping you, the Womack, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are committed to helping you regain your independence. Whether the condition affecting you is an ACL tear, 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. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility training. We also offer vestibular therapy to help with vestibular disorders that cause dizziness and vertigo.

Womack, MO physical therapists often utilize 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 need a device such as crutches to complete the task
3. Stand-by assist, meaning you can perform the movement by yourself but need someone to monitor you for safety
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can exert 75% of the work needed to complete the task or more while someone else helps you the rest of the way
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can perform about half of the work required
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 are unable to put in a quarter of the effort required, or that the activity is not safe to test

At Axes Physical Therapy in Womack, MO, your tailor-made 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 based on what research says can improve your mobility, and at your first appointment with your professional physical therapist, they will perform a comprehensive examination of your health to verify that the treatment modalities we use are safe for someone suffering from the same ailment you are.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Womack, MO

Obviously, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just rolling over in bed without limitations. There are pickleball leagues to dominate, your children to play with, and the vocational tasks you need to carry out every day in order to earn a living for your Womack, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any athlete, worker, or family member improve mobility they need to get back to the activities they love. Our services also include:

• Occupational therapy — Our Womack, 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 being an integral member of our Womack, MO community and supporting your family as you always have. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to determine 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 anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. Our Womack, MO physical therapy team is experienced in helping 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 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 formulate an effective plan of action to restore optimal mobility.

However limited you currently are in your mobility, and the level of movement health you desire, consult with your Womack, MO doctor about what physical therapy can do for you, or visit one of our locations for a free injury screening from a licensed physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Womack, 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 proportionately strong muscles around joints is vital to preventing injury and reaching optimal movement health.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To reach the movement health and lifestyle we desire, our muscles, ligaments, 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 — Balance issues are usually caused by:
  • Vision issues
  • A vestibular disorder, or a problem in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, or the network between your sensory receptors and your nervous system

A licensed physical therapist in Womack, MO will find the root of your mobility issues and develop a safe and effective treatment plan to get you back to the lifestyle you enjoy most. Beyond therapeutic 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 correct posture education

If your doctor and therapy team agree, a physical therapist in Womack, MO can also fit you for medically accepted assistive devices including splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to best facilitate movement.

How Physical Therapy in Womack, 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. Your customized treatment plans:

• Pain relief for both acute and chronic conditions without needing to depend on prescription medications
• In some cases, the opportunity to avoid surgery by stimulating the body’s own healing methods
• Movement health education, including physical therapy techniques you can safely do at home, what you can do to prevent injuries, and the best postures for improved mobility
• Motivating you to maintain an active lifestyle, carries with it the benefits of increased energy, lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease, contributes to a healthy weight, makes you feel better, and promotes better sleep

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

Whether you need hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to write, are looking for meaningful pain management for sciatica, 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 practice a client-centered approach. To get back your independence and active lifestyle, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location most convenient for you.