Spine Specialist Near Me in Innsbrook, MO
Spine specialist near me in Innsbrook, MO. Lower back issues can make normal tasks like standing up painful, and interrupt how our bodies function. For people who play sports, back injuries can prevent you from being at the top of their game. For breadwinners, it can prevent you from putting food on the table for your Innsbrook, MO family. For others, it can prevent us from taking the dog for a walk or playing with our grandkids as we’d like to. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help return to what you love doing most. 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 appointment with an Axes Innsbrook, MO spine specialist, or get in touch with the Axes location most convenient for you.
Pursuant to Missouri Revised Statute §334.506, a doctor needs to prescribe physical therapy. If you’re dealing with a recent injury or find that back pain is disrupting your daily life, consult with your physician about if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Innsbrook, MO can be safe and effective for you. You can also come see us for one of Axes’ complimentary injury screenings.
The Human Spine
The spine is our central support structure, and allows our brain and body to coordinate with each other. 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. Every vertebra has a hole in the center 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 fused when we’re babies.
Facet Joints
Facet joints connect the vertebrae. They allow your back and neck to extend, bend, twist, and rotate. They are lined with cartilage and lubricated with 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 the stress and shock the body is put under when moving. Every two vertebrae have one disc between them. Discs have a softer center known as the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and a tough, circular exterior known as the annulus fibrosus that prevent the gel-like center from leaking out.
Spinal Cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular collection of nerves, from your brain to your tailbone, where the nerves extend into the lower part of your body. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebral column. 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 muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Ligaments connect 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 well-functioning spine relies on all of these different structures to function properly and in unison to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. A variety of conditions can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can significantly limit your ability to enjoy the things you love doing. When that happens, a spine specialist in Innsbrook, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to doing what you love most.
What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in Innsbrook, 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 sustained a sports injury, Axes’ Innsbrook, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we treat in Innsbrook, MO are:
- Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be caused by either acute trauma or wear and tear as we get older. 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 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 immense pain, weakness, and numbness 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, issues with walking or other movements, and loss of sensation in your hands or feet.
- Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is the inflammation of the facet joints. 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 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. Nonspecific 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 Innsbrook, MO spine specialists will form a team with you and your doctor to develop 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, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy is an effective part of a comprehensive wellness routine that eases symptoms and regains optimal mobility.
If you need surgery on your spine, we can work with you in your pre- and post-surgical rehab in Innsbrook, MO to help you be healthy for surgery and recovery quickly and safely.
Benefits of Working With a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist in Innsbrook, MO
Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-invasive treatment plan for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, physical therapy is just as effective as surgery for certain types of back pain, without the same risk of complications. Early intervention by a licensed Innsbrook, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to limit long-term opioid dependence.
A spine specialist like those at Axes Physical Therapy will be able to determine what is causing your pain or other issues, and develop a treatment plan based on your injures, your age, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through a variety of exercises and manual therapy, physical therapy can reduce pain, help your spine and nervous system function better, increase flexibility.
Physical Therapy for Spine Issues
Depending on what is causing your back pain or spine dysfunction, your Innsbrook, MO spine specialist at Axes may include some of the following in your treatment plan:
- Hands-On Care — Our Innsbrook, MO manual therapists are experts at using light manipulations 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 essential for helping you build up strength, flexibility, and balance. Beyond limiting symptoms now, certain exercises will allow you to maintain a healthy 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’ve overcome an injury, only to suffer another injury in the future. We’ll educate you about the musculoskeletal system and how yours is being affected, so you’ll know how to stay healthy in the future. Injury prevention includes:
- Patient education
- Lifting education
- Activity modification
- Conditioning
Your treatment plan in Innsbrook, 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 Innsbrook, MO include:
- Total Knee Replacement Physical Therapy
- Vestibular Therapy
- Concussion Treatment
- Soft Tissue Mobilization
- Post Surgical Rehabilitation
- Shin Splint Treatment
- Direct Access Physical Therapy
- Gait Analysis
- Pelvic Floor Therapy
- Dry Needling Near Me
Count on Axes For Your Spine Specialist Near Me in Innsbrook, MO
Don’t allow a spine condition prevent you from the activities you love. At Axes, our Innsbrook, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. You didn’t decide to live with back pain, but you do not have to choose to live with it. For a licensed and knowledgeable Innsbrook, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or contact the location closest to you