Spine Specialist Near Me in High Ridge, MO

Spine specialist near me in High Ridge, MO. Spine injuries can make basic activities like laying down excruciating, and disturb how our bodies function. For athletes, back issues can keep you from being at peak performance. For breadwinners, it can hinder your ability to provide for your High Ridge, MO family. For others, it can keep us from taking walks or playing with our grandkids as we’d like to. Physical therapists with a spine specialty can help you get back to what you love doing most. 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 function, and that you need to live your best life. If you’re ready to finally be free from debilitating back pain, schedule an evaluation with an Axes High Ridge, MO spine specialist, or get in touch with the Axes location most convenient for you.

Under Missouri Revised Statute §334.506, a doctor needs to prescribe physical therapy. If you’re recovering from a back or neck injury, or are living with chronic pain, consult with your physician about if physical therapy with a spine specialist in High Ridge, MO is right for you. You can also visit one of our locations for 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 brain to your pelvis. There are several different parts of your spine:

Vertebrae

The spine has 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that form the backbone. 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 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 flat, round cushions between the vertebrae that act as shock absorbers. There is one disc between each vertebra. Discs have a softer middle called the nucleus pulposus, which gives them flexibility and allows them to absorb shock, and an outer ring of tough fibers called the annulus fibrosus that prevent the gel-like center 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 lower extremities. The spinal cord is protected by spinal fluid and a membrane called dura mater. The nerves extend to other parts of the body through holes in the vertebrae known as the neural foramen. The spinal cord is how our bodies and brains communicate.

Soft Tissue

Surrounding and within the spine are also 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.

A healthy spine needs all of these different structures to to work together to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. Numerous different conditions can interfere with the spine and greatly limit your ability to enjoy the activities you love most. When that happens, a spine specialist in High Ridge, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in High Ridge, 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 suffered a work injury, Axes’ High Ridge, MO spine specialists can help you live your best life. Some of the common conditions we provide relief and improved function for in High Ridge, 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 function. Degenerative disc disease occurs as the cushioning in your spine wears away, 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 in the lumbar region. Symptoms include debilitating 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, balance problems, and numbness or tingling in your hands or feet.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It occurs as the cartilage between the joints wears down over time or from over-exertion. It can also be caused by autoimmune disorders. The term “arthritis” describes over a hundred conditions, most of which can affect the facet joints of the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also known as nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain isn’t brought on by a clear, diagnosable cause. Common causes are obesity or poor posture.

Physical therapy is also an effective treatment option for soft tissue injuries such as muscle strains.

Whatever is causing your back pain or injury, our High Ridge, MO spine specialists will form a team with you and your physician 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 degenerative disc disease, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy is an effective part of a holistic treatment plan that reduces pain and other symptoms and regains optimal mobility.

If your spine condition requires surgery, we offer pre- and post-surgical rehab in High Ridge, MO to help you be healthy for surgery and recovery quickly and safely.

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

More and more people are turning to physical therapy as a non-invasive treatment plan for a variety of issues affecting our musculoskeletal system. According to a paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 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 High Ridge, MO physical therapist is proven to reduce the risk of long-term opioid use.

A qualified 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 numerous different exercises and techniques, physical therapy can limit symptoms, improve the function of your spine by increasing strength and flexibility, increase flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Problems

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

• Hands-On Care — Our High Ridge, MO manual therapists are able to use subtle pressures and stretches to decrease back pain due to spinal issues. Manual therapy we may use to help you include:
  • Dry needling
  • Soft tissue mobilization
  • Joint mobilization and manipulation
  • Trigger point massage
• Guided Exercise — Safe exercises are crucial for getting your soft tissue, joints, and bones stronger and more flexible. In addition to limiting symptoms now, certain exercises 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 — There’s nothing worse than believing you’re moving on from 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. Our injury prevention program includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in High Ridge, MO will be exhaustive and focused on getting you to optimal function 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 services we offer in High Ridge, 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 High Ridge, MO

Don’t let a spine condition prevent you from living the life you want. At Axes, our High Ridge, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. Your pain may not have been your choice, but you do not have to choose to live with it. For a licensed and qualified High Ridge, MO spine specialist to help you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy today or contact the location nearest you