Spine Specialist Near Me in Huntleigh, MO

Spine specialist near me in Huntleigh, MO. Spine injuries can make basic activities like standing up painful, and keep us from our best possible movement health. For physically active people, back injuries can keep you from being at the top of their game. For breadwinners, it can prevent you from providing for your Huntleigh, MO family. For others, it can keep us from going on bike ride 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 mobility and pain relief your body needs to function, and that you need to live your best life. If you’re prepared to finally be free from debilitating back pain, schedule an evaluation with an Axes Huntleigh, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location most convenient for you.

Missouri Revised Statute §334.506 mandates that a prescription is required for physical therapy. If you’re dealing with a recent injury or find that back pain is keeping you from the activities you love, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Huntleigh, MO is what you need. You can also come see us for one of Axes’ complimentary injury screenings.

The Human 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. There are several different parts of your spine:

Vertebrae

There are 33 vertebrae stacked along the spine, which are small bones that form the backbone. Every vertebra has a hole in the middle to protect 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 cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions allow us to move; the others are fused when we’re babies.

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. Between the joints and bones are cartilage and synovial fluid, allowing the bones to move safely.

Intervertebral Discs

Discs are the circular cushions between the vertebrae that absorb the stress and shock the body is put under when moving. There is one disc between each vertebra. Discs have a softer center known as the nucleus pulposus, which gives them flexibility and allows them to absorb shock, and a tough, circular exterior known as the annulus fibrosus that surrounds and protects the gel-like center.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a collection of nerves running up the bones in your spine, from your brain to your tailbone, where the nerves continue into your legs. The spinal cord is protected by spinal fluid and a membrane called dura mater. The nerves branch out to other parts of the body through openings 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 muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Ligaments connect vertebrae and holds them in the correct structure. Muscles are attached to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

Achieving the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. Numerous different factors can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can keep you from the things you love doing. If you’re dealing with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Huntleigh, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to doing what you love most.

What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in Huntleigh, MO Help With?

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 living with chronic pain or recently suffered a work injury, Axes’ Huntleigh, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we help with in Huntleigh, MO include:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be caused by either acute trauma or wear and tear as we get older. 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 is an umbrella term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body and begins near your tailbone. It can lead to crippling pain, weakness, and numbness down one side of your body.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the vertebral column is too small. Symptoms include pain, problems with walking or other movements, and numbness or tingling in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is swelling or tenderness in one or more joints. It occurs as the cushioning between the joints wears down over time or from overuse. Obesity, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions can also lead to arthritis. There are over 100 types of arthritis, most of which are possible in the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also called nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain that doesn’t have a known, recognizable cause. Common causes are obesity or poor posture.

Physical therapy can also help with soft tissue injuries such as whiplash.

Whatever is causing your back pain or injury, our Huntleigh, MO spine specialists will work in tandem with you and your physician to develop an evidence-backed treatment plan to get 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 comprehensive wellness routine that reduces pain and other symptoms and returns optimal mobility.

If you need surgery on your spine, we can work with you in your pre- and post-surgical rehab in Huntleigh, MO to help get the best results possible.

Benefits of Working With a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist in Huntleigh, MO

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-invasive treatment plan for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. 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 recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed Huntleigh, MO physical therapist is proven 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 build a treatment plan based on your medical history, how old you are, and your desired activity level. Through a variety of exercises and manual manipulations, physical therapy can limit symptoms, improve the function of your spine by increasing strength and flexibility, increase flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

Depending on your specific condition, your Huntleigh, MO spine specialist at Axes may implement some of the following practices to help return you to what you love doing most:

• Manual Therapy — Our Huntleigh, MO manual therapists are experts at using light manipulations and stretches to decrease back pain due to spinal issues. Hand-on services we may use to treat 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 decreasing symptoms now, certain exercises will allow you to maintain a healthy spine when you’re on the move. Effective exercises for spine conditions include:
  • Core stabilization
  • Postural retraining
  • Flexibility
  • Cardio conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Home exercise
• Injury Prevention — It’s incredibly frustrating to believe you’ve overcome an injury, only to suffer another injury in the future. We help you understand the musculoskeletal system and how yours is being affected, 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 Huntleigh, MO will be based not on just recovery or pain relief, but on getting you to optimal function and keeping you there. Whatever your treatment plan includes, it will be based on peer-reviewed studies that those techniques have been proven to work.

Other services we offer in Huntleigh, 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 Huntleigh, MO

Don’t allow a back injury keep you from living the life you want. At Axes, our Huntleigh, 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 licensed and knowledgeable Huntleigh, MO spine specialist to help you, schedule an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy today or contact the location nearest you