Spine Specialist Near Me in Huntleigh, MO

Spine specialist near me in Huntleigh, MO. Lower back pain can make everyday activities like laying down difficult, and keep us from optimal movement health. For athletes, back issues can prevent you from being at the top of their game. For breadwinners, it can hinder your ability to provide for your Huntleigh, MO loved ones. For others, it can prevent us from taking walks or playing with our grandkids like we love doing. Physical therapists with a spine specialty can help you get back to the functional and pain-free life you’re looking for. By developing a custom treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the lifestyle you desire. If you’re ready to at long last be free from a crippling back condition, 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 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 Huntleigh, MO is what you need. In the meantime, come see us for one of our free injury screenings.

The Anatomy of the Spine

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

Vertebrae

The spine has 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that stack on top of each other to form the spinal canal. Every vertebra has a hole in the middle to protect the spinal cord and its nerves. 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 immobile.

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 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. Every two vertebrae have one disc between them. Discs have a softer 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 consists of nerves that travel through the vertebrae, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves go into the lower part of your body. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae and other tissue. The neural foramen are openings in the vertebrae that allow the nerves to go into other parts of the body. The spinal cord is how our bodies and brains communicate.

Soft Tissue

The spine also has various types of soft tissue. Ligaments attach vertebrae, hold them in place, and give them structure. Tendons attach muscles to the vertebrae, and the muscles are what powers the spine’s movement.

A well-functioning spine needs all of these different structures to to work together to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. Numerous different factors can interfere with the spine and greatly limit your ability to enjoy the things you love doing. When that happens, a spine specialist in Huntleigh, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to doing what you love most.

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

The American College of Physicians recommends 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’ Huntleigh, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we treat in Huntleigh, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be the result of either an injury or wear and tear as we get older. They put pressure on a nerve which can be painful and limit mobility. 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 the largest nerve in the body and originates near your tailbone. Symptoms include immense pain, weakness, and tingling through your buttock and leg.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the spinal cavity becomes too narrow and puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Symptoms include pain, balance issues, and numbness or tingling in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It onsets as the cartilage between the joints wears down over time or from repeated injuries. It can also be caused by autoimmune disorders. The term “arthritis” describes over a hundred conditions, most of which can affect the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also called nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain isn’t brought on by a clear, diagnosable cause. Axial 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 is causing your back pain or injury, our Huntleigh, MO spine specialists will form a team with you and your doctor to come up with an evidence-backed treatment plan to get 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 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 Huntleigh, MO to help you be healthy for surgery and recovery quickly and safely.

What a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist Can Do For Me in Huntleigh, 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 research published By the American College of Physicians, physical therapy can get the same relief and results for some back pain as surgery, and doesn’t involve the same risk of complications. Early intervention by a licensed Huntleigh, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to reduce long-term opioid dependence.

A licensed spine specialist will be able to determine what is causing your pain or other issues, and build a treatment plan based on your injures, your age, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through numerous different exercises and manual therapy, physical therapy can reduce pain, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, enhance flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Problems

Depending on your specific condition, your Huntleigh, 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 Huntleigh, MO manual therapists are able to use light manipulations and stretches to alleviate symptoms and improve function due to spinal issues. 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 crucial for helping you build up strength, flexibility, and balance. In addition to limiting symptoms now, certain exercises 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 — It’s beyond frustrating to feel like 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’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 Huntleigh, MO will be exhaustive and focused on getting you to your best possible movement health 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 conditions we help treat in Huntleigh, MO include:

• Beginner Running Program
• Chronic Pain Treatment
• MCL Injury
• Shoulder Pain
• Injury Prevention
• Mobility
• Knee Injury
• Joint Pain
• Sciatica

Count on Axes For Your Spine Specialist Near Me in Huntleigh, MO

Don’t allow a spine condition prevent you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Huntleigh, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. You didn’t decide to live with this condition, but you do not have to choose to live with it. For a professional and qualified Huntleigh, MO spine specialist to help you, schedule an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy now or reach out to the location closest to you