Spine Specialist Near Me in Ironton, MO

Spine specialist near me in Ironton, MO. Spinal conditions can make basic tasks like bending over painful, and disrupt how our bodies function. For physically active people, back problems can keep you from being at the top of their game. For breadwinners, it can prevent you from providing for your Ironton, MO loved ones. For others, it can prevent us from going on bike ride or playing with our children as we’d like to. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help you get back to what you love doing most. By creating a personalized treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the mobility and pain relief your body needs to be at its best, and that you need to live your best life. If you’re ready to finally be free from debilitating back pain, schedule an appointment with an Axes Ironton, MO spine specialist, or get in touch with the Axes location nearest you.

Missouri law mandates that a prescription is required for physical therapy. If you’re recovering from a back or neck injury, or are find that back pain is keeping you from the activities you love, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Ironton, 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 is our central support structure, and plays a fundamental role in most movements and how the body communicates with itself. It extends from the base of your skull to your tailbone. The spine is made up of:

Vertebrae

There are 33 vertebrae from the top to bottom of the spine, 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 are the only ones that can move; the others are immobile.

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. 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 circular cushions between the vertebrae that act as shock absorbers. Every two vertebrae have one disc between them. Discs have a softer center known as the nucleus pulposus, which gives them flexibility and allows them to absorb impact, and a tough, circular exterior called the annulus fibrosus that prevent the gel-like center from leaking out.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves continue into your lower body. 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 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 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.

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 severely limit your ability to enjoy the things you love doing. When that happens, a spine specialist in Ironton, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

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

The American College of Physicians developed guidelines that include certain physical therapy treatments for lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re living with chronic pain or recently suffered a sports injury, Axes’ Ironton, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we provide relief and improved function for in Ironton, MO include:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be the result of either an injury or wear and tear from aging. They can impinge on a nerve which can cause severe pain along your neck and back and limit strength. 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 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 loss of sensation in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is the inflammation of the facet joints. It occurs as the cushioning between the joints degrades over time or from repeated injuries. 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 isn’t brought on by a clear, diagnosable cause. Nonspecific back pain can be caused by 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 Ironton, MO spine specialists will work with you and your physician 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 degenerative disc disease, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy can be part of a comprehensive treatment plan that reduces pain and other symptoms and regains optimal mobility.

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

What a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist Can Do For Me in Ironton, MO

More and more people are turning to physical therapy as a non-invasive treatment plan for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. According to a paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, physical therapy can get the same relief and results for some back pain as surgery, and doesn’t involve the same recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed Ironton, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to limit long-term opioid dependence.

A knowledgeable and experienced spine specialist will be able to determine what is causing your pain or other issues, and create a treatment plan based on your medical history, your age, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through a variety of exercises and techniques, physical therapy can limit symptoms, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, boost flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Problems

Depending on what is causing your back pain or spine dysfunction, your Ironton, MO spine specialist at Axes may include some of the following in your treatment plan:

• Hands-On Care — Our Ironton, MO manual therapists are experts at using light pressures and stretches to decrease back pain caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Hand-on services we may include in your treatment plan include:
  • Trigger point 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 reducing pain now, guided exercise will also help overall function and improve movement health. Effective exercises for spine conditions 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 aggravate it. We help you understand the musculoskeletal system and how yours is being affected, so you’ll know how to protect your spine while being active. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Ironton, MO will be based not on just recovery or pain relief, but on getting you to your best possible function and helping you stay 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 Ironton, MO include:

• 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
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy

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

Don’t allow a spine condition keep you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Ironton, MO spine specialists strive for positive patient outcomes. Your pain may not have been your choice, but you do not have to choose to live with it. For a professional and qualified Ironton, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy now or contact the location closest to you