Spine Specialist Near Me in Ellisville, MO

Spine specialist near me in Ellisville, MO. Lower back issues can make everyday tasks like walking up the stairs painful, and disrupt how our bodies function. For athletes, back problems can keep you from being at the top of their game. For workers, it can obstruct your ability to provide for your Ellisville, MO loved ones. For others, it can keep us from going on bike ride or other physical activities. Physical therapists with a spine specialty can help you get back to the functional and pain-free life you’re looking for. By developing a personalized treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you live your best life. If you’re prepared to finally move on from a crippling back condition, schedule an appointment with an Axes Ellisville, MO spine specialist, or call the Axes location most convenient for you.

Missouri law requires a prescription for physical therapy. If you’re dealing with a recent injury or living with chronic pain, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Ellisville, MO is right for you. You can also take advantage of one of our complimentary injury screenings.

The Anatomy of the Spine

The spine is our central support structure, and allows our brain and body to coordinate with each other. It extends from the base of your skull 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 middle to protect 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 cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions provide mobility; the others are fused when we’re babies.

Facet Joints

Facet joints connect the vertebrae. They allow your back and neck to extend, bend, twist, and rotate. Between the joints and bones are cartilage and 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. Every two vertebrae have one disc between them. Discs have a “gel-like” center called the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and a tough, circular exterior known as the annulus fibrosus that prevent the nucleus pulposus from leaking out.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure, from your brain to your tailbone, where the nerves continue into your lower body. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebral column. The neural foramen are openings in the vertebrae where the nerves to go into other parts of the body. The spinal cord allows our brain to tell our bodies to move, and our brains to receive sensory information from our body.

Soft Tissue

The spine also has muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Ligaments attach bones together and holds them in the correct structure. Muscles are attached to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

A well-functioning spine relies on all of these different structures to to work together to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. Numerous different factors can interfere with the spine and greatly limit your ability to enjoy the activities you love most. If you’re living with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Ellisville, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

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

The American College of Physicians recommends certain physical therapy treatments for lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re living with chronic pain or recently sustained a sports injury, Axes’ Ellisville, MO spine specialists can help you live your best life. Some of the common conditions we help with in Ellisville, MO include:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be the result of 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 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 in the lower spine. Symptoms include crippling pain, weakness, and tingling down one side of your body.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the spinal cavity becomes too narrow and puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Symptoms include pain, issues 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 cushioning 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 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. Common causes are 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 Ellisville, MO spine specialists will work in tandem with you and your physician to develop an evidence-backed treatment plan to get you back to the activities you love and a more comfortable life. While some conditions, like stenosis, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy is an effective part of a comprehensive treatment plan that eases symptoms and returns optimal mobility.

If what’s ailing you requires surgery, we offer pre- and post-surgical rehab in Ellisville, MO to help you be healthy for surgery and recovery quickly and safely.

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

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-surgical option for a variety of issues affecting our musculoskeletal system. According to a paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 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 Ellisville, MO physical therapist is proven to reduce the risk of long-term opioid use.

A professional spine specialist will be able to find the root cause of your back problems, and build a treatment plan based on your medical history, your age, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through numerous different exercises and techniques, physical therapy can reduce pain, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, increase range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

Depending on your specific condition, your Ellisville, MO spine specialist at Axes may include some of the following in your treatment plan:

• Manual Therapy — Our Ellisville, MO manual therapists are experts at using light pressures and stretches to alleviate symptoms and improve function due to spinal issues. Manual therapy 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 essential for getting your body stronger and more flexible. In addition to limiting pain now, guided exercise will allow you to maintain a healthy spine when you’re on the move. Exercises we might assign 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 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. Our injury prevention program includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Ellisville, MO will be based not on just recovery or pain relief, but on getting you to optimal movement health and helping you stay there. Whatever your treatment plan includes, it will be based on proven techniques.

Other services we offer in Ellisville, MO include:

• Beginner Running Program
• Chronic Pain Treatment
• MCL Injury
• Shoulder Pain
• Injury Prevention
• Mobility
• Knee Injury
• Joint Pain
• Sciatica

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

Don’t let a spine condition keep you from living the life you want. At Axes, our Ellisville, MO spine specialists strive for positive patient outcomes. You didn’t decide to live with this condition, but you do not have to choose to live with it. For a licensed and experienced Ellisville, MO spine specialist to help you, schedule an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy now or reach out to the location most convenient for you