Spine Specialist Near Me in Barretts, MO

Spine specialist near me in Barretts, MO. Spine injuries can make everyday activities like standing up excruciating, and keep us from our best possible movement health. For physically active people, back injuries can keep you from being at the top of their game. For breadwinners, it can prevent you from putting food on the table for your Barretts, MO family. For others, it can prevent us from taking walks or other physical activities. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help you get back to what you love doing most. By creating a personalized treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the strength, flexibility, and pain relief your body needs to be at its best, and that you need to live your best life. If you’re prepared to finally be free from a crippling back condition, request an appointment with an Axes Barretts, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location most convenient for 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 disrupting your daily life, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Barretts, MO is right for you. In the meantime, come see us for one of Axes’ no-obligation injury screenings.

The Human Spine

The spine supports both our physical bodies, and how our bodies communicate. It begins at the base of your brain and ends at your tailbone. The spine is made up of:

Vertebrae

The spine has 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that stack on top of each other to form the spinal canal. Every vertebra has a hole in the middle to safeguard the spinal cord and its nerves. The vertebrae are grouped into five 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 fused into place.

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 extend, bend, twist, and rotate. 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 circular cushions between the vertebrae that absorb shock and prevent the vertebrae from grinding against each other. Every two vertebrae have one disc between them. Discs have a softer center known as the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and a tough, circular exterior known as the annulus fibrosus that prevent the nucleus pulposus from leaking out.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular collection of nerves, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves continue into your lower body. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebral column. 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

The spine also has muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Ligaments connect bones together and holds them in the correct structure. Tendons attach muscles to the vertebrae, and the muscles are what powers the spine’s movement.

A healthy spine needs all of these different structures to to work together to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. Numerous different conditions can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can keep you from the activities you love most. When that happens, a spine specialist in Barretts, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

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

The American College of Physicians recommends numerous 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 you live your best life. Some of the common conditions we provide relief and improved function for in Barretts, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be the result of either acute trauma or general degradation from aging. They can impinge on a nerve which can be painful and limit mobility. Degenerative disc disease occurs as a natural result of aging, and greatly decreases flexibility.
• Sciatica — Sciatica is an umbrella term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and originates in the lumbar region. It can cause to debilitating pain, weakness, and numbness down one side of your body.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the space inside your backbone is too small. Symptoms include pain, problems with walking or other movements, and loss of sensation in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is the inflammation of the facet joints. It onsets as the cushioning between the joints degrades over time or from overuse. Obesity, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions can also lead to arthritis. The term “arthritis” describes over a hundred conditions, most of which are possible in the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also called nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain that doesn’t have a known, recognizable cause. Axial back pain can be caused by obesity or poor posture.

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

Whatever condition is currently ailing you, our Barretts, MO spine specialists will form a team with you and your doctor to design an evidence-backed treatment plan to get you back to the things you love doing most and a pain-free life. While some conditions, like stenosis, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy can be part of a holistic treatment plan that reduces pain and other symptoms and returns optimal mobility.

If you need surgery on your spine, we offer pre- and post-surgical rehab in Barretts, MO to help your surgery go as well as possible.

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

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-surgical option 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, and doesn’t involve the same recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed Barretts, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of long-term opioid use.

A knowledgeable and experienced spine specialist will be able to determine what is causing your pain or other issues, and develop a treatment plan based on your current and previous medical conditions, your age, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through a variety of exercises and techniques, physical therapy can limit symptoms, help your spine and nervous system function better, increase flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Problems

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

• Hands-On Care — Our Barretts, MO manual therapists are able to use subtle pressures and stretches to decrease back pain caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Manual therapy we may incorporate into your treatment plan include:
  • Trigger point dry needling
  • Soft tissue mobilization
  • Joint mobilization and manipulation
  • Trigger point massage
• Guided Exercise — Safe exercises are crucial for getting your soft tissue, joints, and bones stronger and more flexible. Beyond managing symptoms now, certain exercises will also help overall function and improve movement health. Exercises we might assign include:
  • Core stabilization
  • Postural retraining
  • Flexibility
  • Cardio conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Home exercise
• Injury Prevention — There’s nothing worse than believing 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’ll know how to protect your spine while being active. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Barretts, MO will be holistic and focused on getting you to optimal function and helping you stay there. However we recommend treating your spine condition or back pain, it will designed based on proven techniques.

Other conditions we help treat in Barretts, MO include:

• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation
• Pain Management Services
• TMJ Treatment
• Herniated Disc Treatment

Count on 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 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 Barretts, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy now or reach out to the location closest to you