Spine Specialist Near Me in Gray Summit, MO

Spine specialist near me in Gray Summit, MO. Spinal conditions can make normal activities like walking up the stairs painful, and disturb how our bodies function. For athletes, back issues can keep you from being at the top of their game. For workers, it can prevent you from putting food on the table for your Gray Summit, MO loved ones. For others, it can keep us from taking the dog for a walk or playing with our children as we’d like to. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help return to the functional and pain-free life you’re seeking. By creating a custom treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the lifestyle you desire. If you’re prepared to at long last move on from the issues holding you back, request an evaluation with an Axes Gray Summit, MO spine specialist, or call the Axes location most convenient for you.

Pursuant to Missouri law, a doctor needs to prescribe physical therapy. If you’re recovering from a back or neck injury, or are find that back pain is disrupting your daily life, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Gray Summit, MO is right for you. You can also take advantage of one of Axes’ free 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 skull to your pelvis. There are several different parts of your spine:

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. 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 are the only ones that can move; the others are fused into place.

Facet Joints

Each vertebra is connected to two facet joints which connect the bones to each other. They allow your back and neck to perform a variety of movements. 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 softer middle called the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and an outer ring of tough fibers known as the annulus fibrosus that prevent the gel-like center from leaking out.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure, from your brain to your pelvis, where the nerves go into the lower part of your 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 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, hold them together, and give them structure. Muscles are connected to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

A healthy spine relies on all of these systems to function properly and in unison to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. A variety of factors can interfere with the spine and keep you from the activities you love most. If you’re living with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Gray Summit, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to doing what you love most.

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

The American College of Physicians developed guidelines that include numerous 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’ Gray Summit, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we treat in Gray Summit, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be the result of either acute trauma 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 a general term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and originates in the lower spine. It can cause to crippling pain, weakness, and numbness from your buttocks all the way down to your foot.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the vertebral column is too small. It can cause pain, problems with walking or other movements, and loss of sensation in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It occurs as the cartilage between the joints degrades over time or from repeated injuries. 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 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 condition is currently ailing you, our Gray Summit, MO spine specialists will work alongside you and your physician to come up with an evidence-backed treatment plan to get you back to the activities you love and a pain-free life. While some conditions, like degenerative disc disease, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy can be part of a holistic treatment plan 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 Gray Summit, MO to help attain the best results possible.

Benefits of Working With a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist in Gray Summit, 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 research 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 Gray Summit, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to limit 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 develop a treatment plan based on your injures, how old you are, and your desired activity level. Through a variety of exercises and techniques, physical therapy can limit symptoms, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, increase flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Issues

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

• Hands-On Care — Our Gray Summit, MO manual therapists are experts at using subtle manipulations and stretches to decrease back pain due to spinal issues. Hand-on services we may incorporate into your treatment plan include:
  • 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 managing pain now, guided exercise will allow you to maintain a well-functioning spine while going to work or doing the activities you love most. Exercises we might assign include:
  • Core stabilization
  • Postural retraining
  • Flexibility
  • Cardio conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Home exercise
• Injury Prevention — It’s beyond frustrating to believe you’ve gotten past an injury, only to aggravate it. 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 Gray Summit, MO will be based not on just recovery or pain relief, but on getting you to optimal function and helping you stay there. Whatever your treatment plan includes, it will designed based on time-tested techniques.

Other services we offer in Gray Summit, 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 Gray Summit, MO

Don’t allow a spine condition keep you from living the life you want. At Axes, our Gray Summit, 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 professional and knowledgeable Gray Summit, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or reach out to the location nearest you