Spine Specialist Near Me in Defiance, MO

Spine specialist near me in Defiance, MO. Spine injuries can make basic tasks like sitting up difficult, and keep us from optimal movement health. For physically active people, back problems can keep you from being at the top of their game. For workers, it can hinder your ability to provide for your Defiance, MO loved ones. For others, it can prevent us from taking the dog for a walk or playing with our grandkids like we love doing. Physical therapists with a spine specialty 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 movement health and pain relief your body needs to be at its best, and that you need to live your best life. If you’re ready to at long last be free from the issues holding you back, schedule an evaluation with an Axes Defiance, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location nearest you.

Pursuant 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 Defiance, MO is what you need. You can also visit one of our offices 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 extends from the base of your brain to your tailbone. There are several different parts of your spine:

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 center to safeguard the spinal cord and its nerves. There are five vertebral groups. 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 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 flat, round cushions between the vertebrae that absorb shock and prevent the vertebrae from grinding against each other. There is one disc between each vertebra. Discs have a softer center known as the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and a tough, circular exterior called the annulus fibrosus that surrounds and protects the gel-like center.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord consists of nerves running up the bones in your spine, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves continue into your lower extremities. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebral column. The nerves extend to other parts of the body through holes in the vertebrae known as the neural foramen. The spinal cord carries messages between our brain and other parts of our body.

Soft Tissue

The spine also has various types of soft tissue. Ligaments connect vertebrae, hold them together, and give them structure. Muscles are attached 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 factors can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can greatly limit your ability to enjoy the things you love doing. If you’re living with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Defiance, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

What Injuries Can a Spine Specialist in Defiance, 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 everyday basis or recently suffered a sports injury, Axes’ Defiance, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we help with in Defiance, MO include:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be caused by either an injury or general degradation from aging. They can impinge on a nerve which can be painful and limit function. Degenerative disc disease occurs as the cushioning in your spine wears away, and can have symptoms similar to herniated discs.
• Sciatica — Sciatica refers to a variety of conditions which irritate the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and originates in the lumbar region. Symptoms include debilitating 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, balance issues, and loss of sensation in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is the inflammation of the facet 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 are possible in the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also referred to as nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain that doesn’t have a clear, diagnosable cause. Nonspecific back pain can be caused by 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 Defiance, MO spine specialists will work with you and your doctor to come up with a treatment plan, based on proven strategies, and aimed at getting you back to the things you love doing most and a pain-free life. While some conditions, like arthritis, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy can be part of a comprehensive wellness routine that eases symptoms and achieves optimal mobility.

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

What a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist Can Do For You in Defiance, 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 a paper 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 Defiance, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to limit the risk of long-term opioid use.

A professional spine specialist 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, increase flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

Depending on what is causing your back pain or other symptoms, your Defiance, MO spine specialist at Axes may include some of the following in your treatment plan:

• Hands-On Care — Our Defiance, MO manual therapists are experts at using subtle pressures and stretches to decrease back pain due to spinal issues. 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 essential for getting your soft tissue, joints, and bones stronger and more flexible. In addition to reducing symptoms now, certain exercises will also help overall function and improve movement health. 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 overcome 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 stay healthy in the future. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Defiance, MO will be based not on just recovery or pain relief, but on getting you to optimal function and keeping you 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 Defiance, 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

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

Don’t let a spine condition keep you from living the life you want. At Axes, our Defiance, MO spine specialists strive for positive patient outcomes. You didn’t decide to live with this condition, but you can choose to do something about it. For a professional and qualified Defiance, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location nearest you