Spine Specialist Near Me in Dittmer, MO

Spine specialist near me in Dittmer, MO. Spine injuries can make normal activities like sitting up difficult, and disrupt how our bodies function. For physically active people, back problems can keep you from being at the top of their game. For workers, it can impede your ability to put food on the table for your Dittmer, MO loved ones. For others, it can prevent us from taking walks or other physical activities. Physical therapists with a spine specialty can help you get back to the functional and pain-free life you’re seeking. By developing a custom treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you live your best life. If you’re ready to at long last be free from the issues holding you back, request an appointment with an Axes Dittmer, MO spine specialist, or call the Axes location nearest you.

Missouri law requires a prescription for physical therapy. If you’re dealing with a recent injury or find that back pain is disrupting your daily life, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Dittmer, MO is right for you. In the meantime, take advantage of one of our free injury screenings.

The Human Spine

The spine supports both our physical bodies, and how our bodies communicate. It extends from the base of your skull to your tailbone. The spine consists of:

Vertebrae

The spine consists of 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that stack on top of each other to form the spinal canal. 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 first 3 regions allow us to move; the others are immobile.

Facet Joints

Each vertebra is connected to two facet joints which connect the bones to each other. They allow your back and neck to extend, bend, twist, and rotate. 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 act as shock absorbers. There is one disc between each vertebra. Discs have a “gel-like” middle known as the nucleus pulposus, which gives them flexibility and allows them to absorb shock, and a tough, circular exterior known as the annulus fibrosus that surrounds and protects the gel-like center.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular collection of nerves, from your brain to your tailbone, where the nerves continue into your lower body. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae and other tissue. The neural foramen are openings in the vertebrae that allow the nerves to go into other parts of the body. 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 attach 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.

Achieving the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. Numerous different conditions can interfere with the spine and keep you from the things you love doing. When that happens, a spine specialist in Dittmer, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to doing what you love most.

What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in Dittmer, MO Treat Me For?

The American College of Physicians recommends 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 work injury, Axes’ Dittmer, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we treat in Dittmer, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be the result of either acute trauma or general degradation from aging. They put pressure on a nerve which can be painful and limit mobility. Degenerative disc disease occurs as the cushioning in your spine wears away, and can have symptoms similar to herniated discs.
• Sciatica — Sciatica is an umbrella term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body and originates in the lower spine. It can lead to debilitating pain, weakness, and tingling from your buttocks all the way down to your foot.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the space inside your backbone is too small. Symptoms include pain, problems with walking or other movements, and numbness or tingling in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is the inflammation of the facet joints. It onsets as the cartilage between the joints degrades 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 that doesn’t have 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 Dittmer, MO spine specialists will work in concert with you and your doctor to develop 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 is an effective part of a holistic wellness routine that eases symptoms and regains optimal mobility.

If you need surgery on your spine, we can work with you in your pre- and post-surgical rehab in Dittmer, MO to help attain the best results possible.

What a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist Can Do For You in Dittmer, MO

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular 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 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 Dittmer, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to limit long-term opioid dependence.

A professional spine specialist 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, how old you are, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through numerous different exercises and manual therapy, physical therapy can limit symptoms, help your spine and nervous system function better, enhance range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

Depending on what is causing your back pain or spine dysfunction, your Dittmer, MO spine specialist at Axes may implement some of the following practices to help return you to the activities you love:

• Manual Therapy — Our Dittmer, MO manual therapists are able to use subtle manipulations and stretches to decrease back pain due to spinal issues. Hand-on services 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 helping you build up strength, flexibility, and balance. In addition to reducing pain now, guided exercise 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 feel like you’re moving on from an injury, only to suffer another injury in the future. 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 Dittmer, MO will be comprehensive and focused on getting you to your best possible movement health 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 conditions we help treat in Dittmer, 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 Dittmer, MO

Don’t let a spine condition keep you from the activities you love. At Axes, our Dittmer, 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 Dittmer, MO spine specialist to help you, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy now or find the location closest to you