Spine Specialist Near Me in Farmington, MO

Spine specialist near me in Farmington, MO. Lower back issues can make normal tasks like standing up difficult, and keep us from our best possible movement health. For athletes, back issues can keep you from being at the top of their game. For breadwinners, it can prevent you from providing for your Farmington, MO family. For others, it can keep us from taking the dog for a walk or playing with our grandkids like we love doing. 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 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 debilitating back pain, request an evaluation with an Axes Farmington, MO spine specialist, or get in touch with the Axes location nearest you.

Missouri law requires a prescription for 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 Farmington, MO can be safe and effective for you. You can also visit one of our offices for one of our no-obligation injury screenings.

The Human Spine

The spine is our central support structure, and plays a fundamental role in most movements and how the body communicates with itself. It extends from the base of your skull to your tailbone. The spine is made up of:

Vertebrae

There are 33 vertebrae from the top to bottom of the spine, 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 cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions allow us to move; the others are immobile.

Facet Joints

Facet joints are the small joints that connect the bony tips of vertebrae on the back of the spine. They allow your back and neck to perform a variety of movements. 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. Every two vertebrae have one disc between them. Discs have a softer middle called the nucleus pulposus, which gives them flexibility and allows them to absorb impact, and an outer ring of tough fibers 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 pelvis, where the nerves continue into your lower body. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae and other tissue. The nerves branch out 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

Surrounding and within the spine are also various types of soft tissue. Ligaments attach vertebrae, hold them in place, and give them structure. Tendons attach muscles to the vertebrae, and the muscles are what powers the spine’s movement.

Living the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. A variety of factors can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can keep you from the things you love doing. When that happens, a spine specialist in Farmington, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in Farmington, 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 sustained a sports injury, Axes’ Farmington, MO spine specialists can help you live your best life. Some of the common conditions we help with in Farmington, MO include:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be due to either acute trauma or general degradation 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 refers to a variety of conditions which irritate the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and originates near your tailbone. Symptoms include debilitating pain, weakness, and tingling 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. It can cause pain, balance problems, and loss of sensation in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It onsets as the cushioning between the joints wears down over time or from overuse. It can also be caused by autoimmune disorders. There are over 100 types of arthritis, most of which can affect the facet joints of the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also referred to as 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 can also help with soft tissue injuries such as muscle strains.

Whatever is causing your back pain or injury, our Farmington, MO spine specialists will work with you and your doctor to develop a treatment plan, based on proven strategies, and aimed at getting you back to the activities you love and a pain-free life. While some conditions, like arthritis, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy can be part of a holistic 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 Farmington, MO to help your surgery go as well as possible.

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

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-invasive treatment plan for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. According to research published By the American College of Physicians, physical therapy is just as effective as surgery for certain types of back pain, and doesn’t involve the same risk of complications. Early intervention by a licensed Farmington, MO physical therapist is proven to limit the risk of long-term opioid use.

A licensed spine specialist will be able to determine what is causing your pain or other issues, and build a treatment plan based on your medical history, your age, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through a variety of exercises and manual manipulations, physical therapy can limit symptoms, improve the function of your spine by increasing strength and flexibility, boost range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

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

• Hands-On Care — Our Farmington, MO manual therapists are experts at using light pressures 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, 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’re moving on from an injury, only to aggravate it. We’ll educate you about 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 Farmington, MO will be based not on just recovery or pain relief, but 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 conditions we help treat in Farmington, 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

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

Don’t allow a back injury prevent you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Farmington, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. Your pain may not have been your choice, but you do not have to decide to live with it. For a licensed and qualified Farmington, MO spine specialist to treat you, schedule an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location closest to you