Crestwood, MO

Crestwood, MO

Find lasting relief for your back pain

Spine Specialist Near Me in Crestwood, MO

Spine specialist near me in Crestwood, MO. Spine injuries can make normal activities like sitting up painful, and keep us from optimal movement health. For athletes, back injuries can prevent you from being at peak performance. For breadwinners, it can prevent you from providing for your Crestwood, MO family. For others, it can keep 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 the functional and pain-free life you’re looking for. Through safe and proven exercises and treatment plans, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the lifestyle you desire. If you’re prepared to at long last move on from a crippling back condition, request an appointment with an Axes Crestwood, MO spine specialist, or get in touch with the Axes location nearest you.

According to 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, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Crestwood, MO is right for you. In the meantime, come see us for one of Axes’ complimentary injury screenings.

The Anatomy of the Spine

The spine is our central support structure, and plays a fundamental role in most movements and how the body communicates with itself. It begins at the base of your skull and ends at your tailbone. There are several different parts of your spine:

Vertebrae

The spine has 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that form the backbone. The spinal cord and nerves run through holes in the middle of each vertebra. 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. They are lined with cartilage and lubricated with synovial fluid, allowing the bones to move without grinding against each other.

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 gel-like center from leaking out.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is made up of of nerves running up the bones in your spine, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves go into the lower part of your body. 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 is how our bodies and brains communicate.

Soft Tissue

The spine also has muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Ligaments connect vertebrae, hold them together, and give them structure. Muscles are attached to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

A healthy spine needs 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 make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can significantly limit your ability to enjoy the things you love doing. When that happens, a spine specialist in Crestwood, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to the lifestyle you desire.

Spine Specialist Near Me Crestwood, MO | Physical Therapy | Spine Treatments Near Crestwood

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

The American College of Physicians developed guidelines that include a variety of physical therapy treatments for lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re living with chronic pain or recently suffered a sports injury, Axes’ Crestwood, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we help with in Crestwood, 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 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 is an umbrella term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and begins near your tailbone. It can lead to immense pain, weakness, and tingling 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. It can cause pain, issues with walking or other movements, and numbness or tingling in the extremities.
  • Spinal Arthritis Arthritis is swelling or tenderness in one or more joints. 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. There are over 100 types of arthritis, 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. Axial back pain can be caused by 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 Crestwood, MO spine specialists will work with you and your doctor 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 degenerative disc disease, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy can be part of a holistic wellness routine that reduces pain and other symptoms and achieves optimal mobility.

If your spine condition requires surgery, we offer pre- and post-surgical rehab in Crestwood, MO to help your surgery go as well as possible.

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

More and more people are turning to physical therapy as a non-invasive treatment plan for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. 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 recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed Crestwood, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated 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 design a treatment plan based on your current and previous medical conditions, how old you are, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through a variety of exercises and manual therapy, 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 Crestwood, 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 Crestwood, MO manual therapists are experts at using light manipulations and stretches to decrease back pain caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Manual therapy we may include in your treatment plan include:
  • Guided Exercise — Safe exercises are essential for helping you build up strength, flexibility, and balance. In addition to reducing symptoms now, certain exercises will allow you to maintain a healthy spine when you’re on the move. Effective exercises for spine conditions include:
    • Core stabilization
    • Postural retraining
    • Flexibility
    • Cardio conditioning
    • Strength training
    • Home exercise
  • Injury Prevention There’s nothing worse than believing you’ve overcome 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’ll know how to stay healthy in the future. Our injury prevention program includes:
    • Patient education
    • Lifting education
    • Activity modification
    • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Crestwood, 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 be based on proven techniques.

Other services we offer in Crestwood, MO include:

Spine Specialist Near Me Crestwood, MO | Physical and Occupational Therapists Near Crestwood

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

Don’t allow a back injury keep you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Crestwood, MO spine specialists strive for positive patient outcomes. You didn’t decide to live with back pain, but you can choose to do something about it. For a professional and knowledgeable Crestwood, MO spine specialist to treat you, schedule an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or reach out to the location most convenient for you

Services Offered

Services Offered
  • Physical Therapy
  • Pre/Post Surgical Rehabilitation
  • Acute Injury Management
  • Chronic Injury Management
  • Work Conditioning/Hardening
  • Functional Capacity Evaluations
  • Certified Hand Therapy
  • Sports Physical Therapy
  • Pediatric Orthopedic Physical Therapy
  • Geriatric Physical Therapy
  • Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization
  • Vestibular Therapy and Post-Concussion Rehabilitation
  • Trigger Point Dry Needling
  • Free Injury Screenings
  • Kinesio Taping®
  • Blood Flow Restriction Therapy

Our Team

Stephen Brunjes
OTR/L, CEAS
Scott Gallant
PT, FAAOMPT, BDN
Stacey Collins
Clinic Director, PT, DPT, CMPT
Stephanie Heubi
Front Office

Locations

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Injuries and pain shouldn’t keep you from moving and doing the things you love.