Spine Specialist Near Me in Country Life Acres, MO

Spine specialist near me in Country Life Acres, MO. Spine injuries can make normal tasks like laying down painful, and keep us from optimal movement health. For athletes, back injuries can prevent you from being at peak performance. For breadwinners, it can obstruct your ability to provide for your Country Life Acres, MO loved ones. For others, it can prevent us from taking walks or playing with our grandkids like we love doing. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help you get back to what you love doing most. Through safe and proven exercises and treatment plans, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the mobility and pain relief your body needs to function, and that you need to live your best life. If you’re prepared to at long last move on from a crippling back condition, schedule an appointment with an Axes Country Life Acres, 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 living with chronic pain, consult with your physician about if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Country Life Acres, MO is what you need. 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 starts at the base of your skull and ends at your tailbone. 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 first 3 regions provide mobility; the others are immobile.

Facet Joints

Facet joints connect the vertebrae. 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 the stress and shock the body incurs when moving. There is one disc between each vertebra. Discs have a softer middle known as the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, 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, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves continue into your legs. 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 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 vertebrae and holds them in the correct structure. Muscles are connected to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

Living the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. Numerous different conditions can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can severely limit your ability to enjoy the activities you love most. When that happens, a spine specialist in Country Life Acres, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to doing what you love most.

What Injuries Can a Spine Specialist in Country Life Acres, MO Treat Me For?

The American College of Physicians recommends a variety of physical therapy treatments for lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re dealing with pain on a everyday basis or recently suffered a work injury, Axes’ Country Life Acres, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we provide relief and improved function for in Country Life Acres, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be due to either acute trauma or wear and tear 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 greatly decreases flexibility.
• Sciatica — Sciatica refers to a variety of conditions which irritate the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body and originates near your tailbone. 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. Symptoms include pain, balance issues, and numbness or tingling 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 spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also called nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain isn’t brought on by a clear, diagnosable cause. Common causes are obesity or poor posture.

Physical therapy can also help with muscle strains, whiplash, and other more acute injuries.

Whatever is causing your back pain or injury, our Country Life Acres, MO spine specialists will work in concert with you and your doctor to come up with an evidence-backed treatment plan to get you back to the activities you love and a more comfortable life. While some conditions, like stenosis, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy is an effective part of a comprehensive treatment plan that eases symptoms and regains optimal mobility.

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

Benefits of Working With a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist in Country Life Acres, 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 is just as effective as surgery for certain types of back pain, without the same recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed Country Life Acres, MO physical therapist is proven 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, how old you are, and your desired activity level. Through a variety of exercises and manual manipulations, physical therapy can reduce pain, improve the function of your spine by increasing strength and flexibility, enhance flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Issues

Depending on what is causing your back pain or other symptoms, your Country Life Acres, 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 Country Life Acres, MO manual therapists are able to use light manipulations and stretches to alleviate symptoms and improve function caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Hand-on services we may use to treat you include:
  • Dry needling
  • Soft tissue mobilization
  • Joint mobilization and manipulation
  • Trigger point massage
• Guided Exercise — Safe exercises are essential for getting your body stronger and more flexible. In addition to managing pain now, certain exercises 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 — It’s beyond frustrating to believe you’ve gotten past an injury, only to aggravate it. We help you understand the musculoskeletal system and how yours is being affected, so you can learn how to be active safely. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Country Life Acres, MO will be exhaustive and focused on getting you to optimal function 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 services we offer in Country Life Acres, 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

Count on Axes For Your Spine Specialist Near Me in Country Life Acres, MO

Don’t let a back injury keep you from the activities you love. At Axes, our Country Life Acres, 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 knowledgeable Country Life Acres, MO spine specialist to treat you, schedule an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or find the location nearest you