Spine Specialist Near Me in Fenton, MO

Spine specialist near me in Fenton, MO. Spine injuries can make normal activities like bending over difficult, and disturb how our bodies function. For athletes, back injuries can keep you from being at the top of their game. For workers, it can prevent you from providing for your Fenton, MO loved ones. For others, it can keep us from taking the dog for a walk or playing with our children like we love doing. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help return to what you love doing most. 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 be free from the issues holding you back, schedule an evaluation with an Axes Fenton, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location most convenient for you.

Pursuant to Missouri law, a doctor needs to prescribe physical therapy. If you’re dealing with a recent injury or living with chronic pain, consult with your physician about if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Fenton, MO can be safe and effective for you. You can also visit one of our offices for one of our complimentary injury screenings.

The Human 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 consists of 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that form the backbone. Every vertebra has a hole in the center to safeguard the spinal cord and its nerves. There are five vertebral 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

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 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 “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 collection of nerves running up the bones in your spine, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves continue into your legs. 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 allows our brain to tell our bodies to move, and our brains to receive sensory information from 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. Muscles are attached to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

A healthy spine needs all of these different structures to function properly and in unison to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. Numerous different conditions can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can severely limit your ability to enjoy the activities you love most. If you’re dealing with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Fenton, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to doing what you love most.

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

The American College of Physicians recommends certain physical therapy treatments for lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re dealing with pain on a daily basis or recently suffered a sports injury, Axes’ Fenton, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we provide relief and improved function for in Fenton, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be due to 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 greatly decreases flexibility.
• Sciatica — Sciatica is an umbrella term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and begins in the lumbar region. Symptoms include debilitating pain, weakness, and numbness through your buttock and leg.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the vertebral column is too small. It can cause 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 overuse. It can also be caused by autoimmune disorders. The term “arthritis” describes over a hundred conditions, most of which are possible in the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also known as nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain that doesn’t have a known, recognizable cause. Nonspecific 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 Fenton, 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 more comfortable life. While some conditions, like stenosis, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy is an effective part of a comprehensive wellness routine that reduces pain and other symptoms and returns optimal mobility.

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

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

More and more people are turning to physical therapy as a 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, without the same risk of complications. Early intervention by a licensed Fenton, MO physical therapist is proven to reduce the risk of long-term opioid use.

A spine specialist like those at Axes Physical Therapy will be able to find the root cause of your back problems, 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 techniques, physical therapy can limit symptoms, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, boost flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

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

• Manual Therapy — Our Fenton, MO manual therapists are experts at using subtle manipulations and stretches to alleviate symptoms and improve function caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Hand-on services 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 helping you build up strength, flexibility, and balance. In addition to limiting pain now, guided exercise will also help overall function and improve movement health. Exercises we might assign include:
  • Core stabilization
  • Postural retraining
  • Flexibility
  • Cardio conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Home exercise
• Injury Prevention — There’s nothing worse than believing you’ve gotten past an injury, only to suffer another injury in the future. We help you understand your injury and how it affects your body’s function, so you can learn how to be active safely. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Fenton, MO will be holistic and focused on getting you to optimal movement health and helping you stay there. However we recommend treating your spine condition or back pain, it will designed based on peer-reviewed studies that those techniques have been proven to work.

Other conditions we help treat in Fenton, 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 Fenton, MO

Don’t allow a back injury prevent you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Fenton, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. You didn’t decide to live with back pain, but you do not have to choose to live with it. For a licensed and knowledgeable Fenton, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or contact the location nearest you