Spine Specialist Near Me in Avon, MO

Spine specialist near me in Avon, MO. Lower back issues can make everyday activities like walking up the stairs excruciating, and disrupt how our bodies function. For physically active people, back injuries can prevent you from being at the top of their game. For breadwinners, it can prevent you from putting food on the table for your Avon, MO loved ones. For others, it can prevent us from taking the dog for a walk or other physical activities. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help return to the functional and pain-free life you’re seeking. Through safe and proven exercises and treatment plans, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the movement health and pain relief your body needs to function, and that you need to live your best life. If you’re prepared to finally move on from the issues holding you back, schedule an evaluation with an Axes Avon, MO spine specialist, or call the Axes location most convenient for you.

According to Missouri law, a doctor needs to prescribe physical therapy. If you’re dealing with a recent injury or find that back pain is disrupting your daily life, consult with your physician about if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Avon, MO is what you need. You can also take advantage of one of Axes’ free injury screenings.

The Human Spine

The spine is our central support structure, and allows our brain and body to coordinate with each other. It extends from the base of your skull to your pelvis. The spine consists of:

Vertebrae

The spine consists of 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that form the backbone. The spinal cord and nerves run through holes in the middle of each vertebra. There are five vertebral regions. There are:

• 7 vertebrae in the cervical region (your neck)
• 12 vertebrae in the thoracic region (your middle back)
• 5 vertebrae in the lumbar region (your lower back)
• 5 vertebrae in the sacrum region (the triangle shaped bone that connects to the hips)
• 4 vertebrae in the coccyx region (your tailbone)

The 24 vertebrae in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions are the only ones that can move; the others are fused when we’re babies.

Facet Joints

Facet joints are the small joints that connect the bony tips of vertebrae on the back of the spine. They allow your back and neck to perform a variety of movements. They are lined with cartilage and lubricated with synovial fluid, allowing healthy bones and joints to safely glide and slide during movement.

Intervertebral Discs

Discs are the flat, round cushions between the vertebrae that absorb the stress and shock the body incurs when moving. There is one disc between each vertebra. Discs have a softer center known as the nucleus pulposus, which gives them flexibility and allows them to absorb impact, and a tough, circular exterior known as the annulus fibrosus that surrounds and protects the gel-like center.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves extend into the lower part of your body. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebral column. The nerves extend to other parts of the body through holes in the vertebrae known as the neural foramen. The spinal cord is how our bodies and brains communicate.

Soft Tissue

The spine also has various types of soft tissue. Ligaments attach vertebrae and holds them in the correct structure. Muscles are attached to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

Living the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. A variety of factors can interfere with the spine and keep you from the things you love doing. When that happens, a spine specialist in Avon, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to the lifestyle you desire.

What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in Avon, MO Help With?

The American College of Physicians recommends numerous physical therapy treatments for lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re living with chronic pain or recently sustained a work injury, Axes’ Avon, MO spine specialists can help you live your best life. Some of the common conditions we provide relief and improved function for in Avon, MO include:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be due to either acute trauma or wear and tear from aging. They can impinge on a nerve which can be painful and limit function. Degenerative disc disease occurs as the cushioning in your spine wears away, and greatly decreases flexibility.
• Sciatica — Sciatica is a general term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body and begins in the lower spine. Symptoms include immense pain, weakness, and tingling through your buttock and leg.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the space inside your backbone is too small. It can cause pain, balance problems, and loss of sensation in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It occurs as the cushioning between the joints wears down over time or from over-exertion. Obesity, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions can also lead to arthritis. There are over 100 types of arthritis, most of which can affect the facet joints of the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also called nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain that doesn’t have a clear, diagnosable cause. Common causes are obesity or poor posture.

Physical therapy is also an effective treatment option for muscle strains, whiplash, and other more acute injuries.

Whatever is causing your back pain or injury, our Avon, MO spine specialists will work with you and your physician to design an evidence-backed treatment plan to get you back to the activities you love and a more comfortable life. While some conditions, like stenosis, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy is an effective part of a holistic wellness routine that reduces pain and other symptoms and regains optimal mobility.

If you need surgery on your spine, we can work with you in your pre- and post-surgical rehab in Avon, MO to help you be healthy for surgery and recovery quickly and safely.

What a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist Can Do For Me in Avon, MO

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-invasive treatment plan for a variety of issues affecting our musculoskeletal system. According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, physical therapy can get the same relief and results for some back pain as surgery, without the same risk of complications. Early intervention by a licensed Avon, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of long-term opioid use.

A spine specialist like those at Axes Physical Therapy will be able to determine what is causing your pain or other issues, and develop a treatment plan based on your injures, your age, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through numerous different exercises and techniques, physical therapy can reduce pain, help your spine and nervous system function better, increase flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Problems

Depending on your specific condition, your Avon, MO spine specialist at Axes may implement some of the following practices to help get you back to what you love doing most:

• Manual Therapy — Our Avon, MO manual therapists are able to use light manipulations and stretches to decrease back pain caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Hand-on services we may incorporate into your treatment plan include:
  • Dry needling
  • Soft tissue mobilization
  • Joint mobilization and manipulation
  • Trigger point massage
• Guided Exercise — Safe exercises are essential for helping you build up strength, flexibility, and balance. Beyond managing symptoms now, guided exercise will allow you to maintain a healthy spine while going to work or doing the activities you love most. Effective exercises for spine conditions include:
  • Core stabilization
  • Postural retraining
  • Flexibility
  • Cardio conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Home exercise
• Injury Prevention — There’s nothing worse than believing you’ve overcome an injury, only to suffer another injury in the future. We help you understand the musculoskeletal system and how yours is being affected, so you’ll know how to protect your spine while being active. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Avon, MO will be based not on just recovery or pain relief, but on getting you to optimal movement health and helping you stay there. Whatever your treatment plan includes, it will designed based on peer-reviewed studies that those techniques have been proven to work.

Other conditions we help treat in Avon, 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

Call Axes For Your Spine Specialist Near Me in Avon, MO

Don’t let a spine condition keep you from living the life you want. At Axes, our Avon, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. Your pain may not have been your choice, but you do not have to decide to live with it. For a professional and experienced Avon, MO spine specialist to treat you, schedule an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or contact the location nearest you