Spine Specialist Near Me in Barretts, MO

Spine specialist near me in Barretts, MO. Spinal conditions can make everyday tasks like standing up difficult, and keep us from our best possible movement health. For athletes, back problems can keep you from being at the top of their game. For breadwinners, it can prevent you from providing for your Barretts, MO family. For others, it can keep us from taking the dog for a walk or other physical activities. Physical therapists with a spine specialty 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 live your best life. If you’re prepared to finally be free from debilitating back pain, request an appointment with an Axes Barretts, MO spine specialist, or get in touch with the Axes location nearest you.

Under Missouri Revised Statute §334.506, a doctor needs to prescribe physical therapy. If you’re recovering from a back or neck injury, or are find that back pain is keeping you from the activities you love, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Barretts, MO can be safe and effective for you. You can also visit one of our locations for one of Axes’ free injury screenings.

The Anatomy of the Spine

The spine supports both our physical bodies, and how our bodies communicate. It extends from the base of your skull to your tailbone. There are several different parts of your spine:

Vertebrae

The spine has 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that form the backbone. Every vertebra has a hole in the center to protect the spinal cord and its nerves. 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 allow us to move; the others are fused when we’re babies.

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 circular cushions between the vertebrae that act as shock absorbers. Every two vertebrae have one disc between them. Discs have a softer middle known as the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and an outer ring of tough fibers known as the annulus fibrosus that surrounds and protects the nucleus pulposus.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is made up of of nerves that travel through the vertebrae, from your brain to your pelvis, where the nerves continue into your lower extremities. The spinal cord is protected by spinal fluid and a membrane called dura mater. The nerves branch out to other parts of the body through holes in the vertebrae called the neural foramen. 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 connect vertebrae, hold them in place, and give them structure. Muscles are connected to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

A healthy spine relies on all of these systems to function properly and in unison to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. A variety of factors can interfere with the spine and keep you from the things you love doing. If you’re dealing with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Barretts, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to doing what you love most.

What Injuries Can a Spine Specialist in Barretts, MO Help With?

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

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be the result of either an injury or general degradation as we get older. They can impinge on a nerve which can be painful and limit mobility. Degenerative disc disease occurs as a natural result of aging, and can have symptoms similar to herniated discs.
• Sciatica — Sciatica is an umbrella term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body and originates in the lower spine. It can lead to crippling pain, weakness, and numbness down one side of your body.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the spinal cavity becomes too narrow and puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. It can cause pain, balance issues, and numbness or tingling in your hands or feet.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is the inflammation of the facet joints. It occurs as the cartilage between the joints degrades 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 known as nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain that doesn’t have a known, recognizable cause. Common causes are obesity or poor posture.

Physical therapy can also help with soft tissue injuries such as whiplash.

Whatever is causing your back pain or injury, our Barretts, MO spine specialists will work in tandem with you and your doctor to design an evidence-backed treatment plan to get you back to the activities you love and a pain-free life. While some conditions, like stenosis, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy is an effective part of a comprehensive wellness routine that eases symptoms and returns optimal mobility.

If what’s ailing you requires surgery, we can work with you in your pre- and post-surgical rehab in Barretts, MO to help your surgery go as well as possible.

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

More and more people are turning to physical therapy as a non-invasive treatment plan for a variety of issues affecting our musculoskeletal system. According to research published By the American College of Physicians, physical therapy can get the same relief and results for some back pain as surgery, and doesn’t involve the same risk of complications. Early intervention by a licensed Barretts, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to limit long-term opioid dependence.

A spine specialist like those at Axes Physical Therapy will be able to determine what is causing your pain or other issues, and create a treatment plan based on your current and previous medical conditions, your age, and your desired activity level. Through a variety of exercises and manual manipulations, physical therapy can reduce pain, help your spine and nervous system function better, enhance flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Problems

Depending on your specific condition, your Barretts, MO spine specialist at Axes may include some of the following in your treatment plan:

• Manual Therapy — Our Barretts, MO manual therapists are able to use subtle manipulations and stretches to alleviate symptoms and improve function due to spinal issues. Hand-on services we may include in your treatment plan include:
  • Dry needling
  • Soft tissue mobilization
  • Joint mobilization and manipulation
  • Trigger point massage
• Guided Exercise — Safe exercises are essential for getting your soft tissue, joints, and bones stronger and more flexible. Beyond limiting pain now, guided exercise will allow you to maintain a well-functioning spine while going to work or doing the activities you love most. Exercises we might assign include:
  • Core stabilization
  • Postural retraining
  • Flexibility
  • Cardio conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Home exercise
• Injury Prevention — It’s beyond frustrating to feel like you’ve overcome 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 Barretts, MO will be based not on just recovery or pain relief, but on getting you to optimal function and helping you stay there. However we recommend treating your spine condition or back pain, it will be based on peer-reviewed studies that those techniques have been proven to work.

Other conditions we help treat in Barretts, MO include:

• Beginner Running Program
• Chronic Pain Treatment
• MCL Injury
• Shoulder Pain
• Injury Prevention
• Mobility
• Knee Injury
• Joint Pain
• Sciatica

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

Don’t allow a back injury prevent you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Barretts, MO spine specialists strive for positive patient outcomes. Your pain may not have been your choice, but you can choose to do something about it. For a professional and knowledgeable Barretts, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy today or contact the location most convenient for you