Spine Specialist Near Me in Bella Villa, MO

Spine specialist near me in Bella Villa, MO. Spine injuries can make normal tasks like laying down painful, and interrupt how our bodies function. For physically active people, back problems can prevent you from being at the top of their game. For breadwinners, it can impede your ability to provide for your Bella Villa, MO family. For others, it can prevent us from taking walks or other physical activities. Physical therapists with a spine specialty can help return to the functional and pain-free life you’re seeking. 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 move on from debilitating back pain, request an evaluation with an Axes Bella Villa, MO spine specialist, or call the Axes location nearest you.

According to Missouri law, 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 Bella Villa, MO is what you need. In the meantime, visit one of our locations for one of our no-obligation injury screenings.

The Anatomy of the 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 pelvis. There are several different parts of your spine:

Vertebrae

There are 33 vertebrae stacked along the spine, which are small bones that stack on top of each other to form the spinal canal. Every vertebra has a hole in the center to protect 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 cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions are the only ones that can move; the others are fused into place.

Facet Joints

Each vertebra is connected to two facet joints which connect the bones to each other. They allow your back and neck to perform a variety of movements. Between the joints and bones are cartilage and synovial fluid, allowing the bones to move safely.

Intervertebral Discs

Discs are the flat, round cushions between the vertebrae that absorb the stress and shock the body is put under when moving. Every two vertebrae have one disc between them. Discs have a softer center called the nucleus pulposus, which gives them flexibility and allows them to absorb shock, and an outer ring of tough fibers called the annulus fibrosus that protect the disc and connect the vertebrae.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular collection of nerves, from your brain to your pelvis, where the nerves continue into your lower extremities. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebral column. The nerves branch out to other parts of the body through openings 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 various types of soft tissue. Ligaments attach bones together, hold them in place, and give them structure. Muscles are connected to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

A well-functioning spine needs all of these systems to function properly and in unison 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 things you love doing. If you’re living with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Bella Villa, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

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

The American College of Physicians developed guidelines that include certain physical therapy treatments for people living with lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re dealing with pain on a daily basis or recently suffered a sports injury, Axes’ Bella Villa, MO spine specialists can help you live your best life. Some of the common conditions we help with in Bella Villa, MO include:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be caused by either acute trauma or general degradation from aging. They can impinge on a nerve which can cause severe pain along your neck and back and limit strength. Degenerative disc disease occurs as a natural result of aging, and can have symptoms similar to herniated discs.
• Sciatica — Sciatica is a general term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and begins near your tailbone. Symptoms include immense pain, weakness, and numbness from your buttocks all the way down to your foot.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the spinal cavity becomes too narrow and puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Symptoms include pain, problems with walking or other movements, 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 degrades over time or from overuse. Obesity, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions can also lead to arthritis. There are over 100 types of arthritis, most of which are possible in the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also known as 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 is also an effective treatment option for soft tissue injuries such as muscle strains.

Whatever condition is currently ailing you, our Bella Villa, MO spine specialists will work alongside 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 returns optimal mobility.

If what’s ailing you requires surgery, we can work with you in your pre- and post-surgical rehab in Bella Villa, MO to help get the best results possible.

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

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular 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 Bella Villa, MO physical therapist is proven to reduce 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 therapy, physical therapy can reduce pain, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, boost flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Problems

Depending on what is causing your back pain or spine dysfunction, your Bella Villa, 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 Bella Villa, MO manual therapists are experts at using light manipulations and stretches to alleviate symptoms and improve function caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Hand-on services we may use to help you include:
  • Trigger point dry needling
  • Soft tissue mobilization
  • Joint mobilization and manipulation
  • Trigger point massage
• Guided Exercise — Safe exercises are crucial for getting your body stronger and more flexible. In addition to reducing pain now, certain exercises will allow you to maintain a well-functioning 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 — It’s beyond frustrating to believe you’re moving on from an injury, only to suffer another injury in the future. We’ll educate you about your injury and how it affects your body’s function, so you can learn how to be active safely. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Bella Villa, MO will be exhaustive and focused on getting you to your best possible function and helping you stay there. However we recommend treating your spine condition or back pain, it will designed based on peer-reviewed studies that those techniques have been proven to work.

Other services we offer in Bella Villa, 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 Bella Villa, MO

Don’t allow a spine condition prevent you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Bella Villa, 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 knowledgeable Bella Villa, MO spine specialist to treat you, schedule an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy now or reach out to the location most convenient for you