Spine Specialist Near Me in Horine, MO

Spine specialist near me in Horine, MO. Spine injuries can make basic tasks like sitting up excruciating, and disturb how our bodies function. For people who play sports, back injuries can keep you from being at peak performance. For workers, it can impede your ability to put food on the table for your Horine, MO loved ones. For others, it can prevent us from taking the dog for a walk or other physical activities. Physical therapists with a spine specialty can help you get back to what you love doing most. By developing a custom treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you live your best life. If you’re prepared to finally be free from debilitating back pain, schedule an appointment with an Axes Horine, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location nearest you.

Under Missouri law, 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 Horine, MO can be safe and effective for you. In the meantime, take advantage of one of our complimentary injury screenings.

The Anatomy of the Spine

The spine supports both our physical bodies, and how our bodies communicate. It starts at the base of your brain and ends at your pelvis. The spine consists of:

Vertebrae

There are 33 vertebrae stacked along the spine, which are small bones that form the backbone. 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. There is one disc between each vertebra. Discs have a “gel-like” center known as the nucleus pulposus, which gives them flexibility and allows them to absorb shock, and an outer ring of tough fibers known as the annulus fibrosus that protect the disc and connect the vertebrae.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves extend 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 called 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 connect vertebrae and holds them in the correct structure. Muscles are connected to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

Achieving the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. A variety of conditions can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can keep you from the activities you love most. If you’re dealing with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Horine, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to the lifestyle you desire.

What Injuries Can a Spine Specialist in Horine, MO Treat Me For?

The American College of Physicians developed guidelines that include numerous physical therapy treatments for people living with lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re dealing with pain on a everyday basis or recently sustained a sports injury, Axes’ Horine, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we treat in Horine, MO include:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be caused by either acute trauma or wear and tear from aging. They can impinge on a nerve which can be painful and limit mobility. Degenerative disc disease occurs as a natural result of aging, and greatly decreases flexibility.
• Sciatica — Sciatica is an umbrella term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and originates near your tailbone. Symptoms include immense pain, weakness, and numbness 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 issues, and loss of sensation in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It occurs as the cushioning between the joints degrades 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 clear, diagnosable cause. Common causes are 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 Horine, MO spine specialists will work with you and your doctor to design a treatment plan, based on proven strategies, and aimed at getting you back to the things you love doing most and a more comfortable life. While some conditions, like stenosis, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy is an effective part of a holistic wellness routine that eases symptoms and achieves optimal mobility.

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

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

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-surgical option for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. According to research 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 recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed Horine, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to reduce long-term opioid dependence.

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 current and previous medical conditions, how old you are, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through a variety of exercises and manual therapy, physical therapy can limit symptoms, help your spine and nervous system function better, enhance range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Issues

Depending on what is causing your back pain or spine dysfunction, your Horine, MO spine specialist at Axes may implement some of the following practices to help get you back to what you love doing most:

• Manual Therapy — Our Horine, MO manual therapists are experts at using light pressures and stretches to alleviate symptoms and improve function caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Hand-on services we may include in your treatment plan include:
  • 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. Beyond reducing 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’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 Horine, 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 conditions we help treat in Horine, 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

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

Don’t allow a spine condition keep you from the activities you love. At Axes, our Horine, MO spine specialists strive for 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 Horine, MO spine specialist to treat you, schedule an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or find the location closest to you