Spine Specialist Near Me in Barnhart, MO

Spine specialist near me in Barnhart, MO. Lower back pain can make normal activities like standing up painful, and interrupt how our bodies function. For physically active people, back injuries can prevent you from being at peak performance. For workers, it can prevent you from putting food on the table for your Barnhart, MO family. 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 you get back to what you love doing most. By developing a personalized treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you live your best life. If you’re prepared to at long last be free from a crippling back condition, request an evaluation with an Axes Barnhart, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location most convenient for you.

Missouri Revised Statute §334.506 mandates that a prescription is required for physical therapy. If you’re recovering from a back or neck injury, or are living with chronic pain, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Barnhart, MO can be safe and effective for you. In the meantime, come see us for one of Axes’ no-obligation injury screenings.

The Human Spine

The spine is our central support structure, and allows our brain and body to coordinate with each other. It begins at the base of your brain and ends at your pelvis. The spine is made up of:

Vertebrae

There are 33 vertebrae stacked along the spine, 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 first 3 regions are the only ones that can move; the others are immobile.

Facet Joints

Each vertebra is connected to two facet joints which connect the bones to each other. They allow your back and neck to extend, bend, twist, and rotate. Between the joints and bones are cartilage and synovial fluid, allowing the bones to move without grinding against each other.

Intervertebral Discs

Discs are the flat, round cushions between the vertebrae that absorb the stress and shock the body incurs when moving. Every two vertebrae have one disc between them. Discs have a softer middle called the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and a tough, circular exterior known as the annulus fibrosus that surrounds and protects the nucleus pulposus.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular collection of nerves, from your brain to your tailbone, where the nerves continue into your lower extremities. The spinal cord is protected by spinal fluid and a membrane called dura mater. The neural foramen are openings in the vertebrae where the nerves to go into other parts of the body. The spinal cord carries messages between our brain and other parts of our body.

Soft Tissue

Surrounding and within the spine are also muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Ligaments attach vertebrae, hold them in place, and give them structure. Tendons attach muscles to the vertebrae, and the muscles are what powers the spine’s 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 significantly limit your ability to enjoy the things you love doing. When that happens, a spine specialist in Barnhart, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to the lifestyle you desire.

What Injuries Can a Spine Specialist in Barnhart, MO Treat Me For?

The American College of Physicians developed guidelines that include numerous physical therapy treatments for lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re dealing with pain on a daily basis or recently sustained a sports injury, Axes’ Barnhart, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we help with in Barnhart, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be due to either acute trauma or general degradation from aging. They put pressure on a nerve which can be painful and limit function. Degenerative disc disease occurs as the cushioning in your spine wears away, and can have symptoms similar to herniated discs.
• Sciatica — Sciatica refers to a variety of conditions which irritate the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and begins in the lumbar region. Symptoms include immense pain, weakness, and numbness through your buttock and leg.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the spinal cavity becomes too narrow and puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Symptoms include pain, balance issues, and loss of sensation in your hands or feet.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It onsets as the cartilage between the joints wears down over time or from over-exertion. Obesity, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions can also lead to arthritis. The term “arthritis” describes over a hundred conditions, 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 known, recognizable 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 condition is currently ailing you, our Barnhart, 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 arthritis, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy is an effective part of a holistic treatment plan that eases symptoms and regains optimal mobility.

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

Benefits of Working With a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist in Barnhart, MO

More and more people are turning to physical therapy as a non-surgical option for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. According to a paper published By the American College of Physicians, physical therapy is just as effective as surgery for certain types of back pain, and doesn’t involve the same recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed Barnhart, MO physical therapist is proven to limit 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 build a treatment plan based on your medical history, how old you are, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through a variety of exercises and manual manipulations, physical therapy can reduce pain, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, increase flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

Depending on what is causing your back pain or other symptoms, your Barnhart, MO spine specialist at Axes may implement some of the following practices to help return you to what you love doing most:

• Hands-On Care — Our Barnhart, MO manual therapists are experts at using light manipulations and stretches to decrease back pain due to spinal issues. 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 crucial for helping you build up strength, flexibility, and balance. Beyond managing symptoms now, certain exercises will also help overall function and improve movement health. Effective exercises for spine conditions include:
  • Core stabilization
  • Postural retraining
  • Flexibility
  • Cardio conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Home exercise
• Injury Prevention — It’s beyond frustrating to feel like you’ve gotten past an injury, only to aggravate it. We help you understand your injury and how it affects your body’s function, so you can learn how to be active safely. Our injury prevention program includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Barnhart, MO will be comprehensive and focused on getting you to optimal function and helping you stay there. Whatever your treatment plan includes, it will be based on proven techniques.

Other conditions we help treat in Barnhart, MO include:

• Neck Pain Treatment
• 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

Count on Axes For Your Spine Specialist Near Me in Barnhart, MO

Don’t let a back injury prevent you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Barnhart, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. Your pain may not have been your choice, but you can choose to do something about it. For a licensed and qualified Barnhart, MO spine specialist to help you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or reach out to the location closest to you